Veritas Temporis Filia
by kataract52
Summary: Sequel to 'Vicarious'. Raven struggles to make a new life for herself while Remy and Rogue work towards building a life together.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:** This story takes place at the end of the eight month gap between 'Secret Wars' and the 'All-New' series. Some character's story lines will be slightly altered but I've tried to keep them close to cannon. As established in 'Gambit' Vol. 5, Gambit is the King of Thieves; and in 'Uncanny Avengers' Vol. 3, Rogue is the field leader of the Unity Squad. Raven LeBeau was established by Chris Claremont in 'X-Men: The End' mini-series and its sequel, 'GeNext'. As with all my stories, this one is Romy in nature and features many adult themes but I've really made an effort to keep it T-rated.

 **Veritas Temporis Filia**

 _The raging fire in the distance was coming for them. Heaven vanished with a roar while the oceans blazed. The heat was merciless and made the babies scream. Raven couldn't see. Through black smoke and blindness, she groped for the little ones, but their voices were overtaken by the painful cry of a dying planet. The air burned, and in turn, burned the lungs which inhaled it. Her little brothers and sisters flash-fried; their insides glowing softly beneath ash figurines. Raven stumbled into her sister-in-law, burned beyond all recognition, but still alive and screaming for the man who'd promised to protect her._

' _Oli! Oli!'_

"OLI!" Raven ripped from her nightmare.

Remy had thrown water on her face after turning on the light and shouting hadn't broken her terror.

"It's okay now," he handed her a towel. "I would've left ya, but you're breakin' things."

She realized her wet blanket was shredded. Trembling, she said: "Sorry, I… I need air. Can't _breathe_ in here!"

Stepping onto the balcony, she felt a cold bite of New York in October. No stars in Manhattan. She wanted to shoot up to heaven and then plummet back to the cement. Instead, she sank to the floor and buried her face into the towel as she sobbed. After a moment, Remy brought a coat, draped it over her, and silently stepped back inside. Oliver, his tangerine kitten, had been hiding in the pocket, and slinked onto her lap. Indifferent to her misery, he clawed her chest until she rubbed his ears.

In apartments around them, people stirred quietly. Someone was up with a baby. Someone else was coming home from a graveyard shift. Her world and everyone on it was dead, but life went on. It was heartbreakingly unfair. Jack would've been nine months old today. He should've been cutting teeth and learning to crawl. Instead, he was in the White Hot Room with his parents, and the only marker left to memorialize him was the space he'd taken in Raven's heart.

Dawn broke in hues of pale blush and almond-white. Another day without her husband. _Late_ husband. She still had to remind herself, and at night, when she rolled over and realized he wasn't there, she'd wake up and mourn all over again. He didn't _feel_ gone. If he rounded a corner one day, she wouldn't be surprised.

Remy emerged again with a cup of coffee and this time she smiled. "Thank you."

"Can I get y' anything else?"

"Just a few minutes, please."

He'd been so kind – offering his home and emotional support. In Raven's distant, now extinct world, he'd been her father, and because she was the mirror image of her mother (and his love), trust came easily. But she couldn't stay. Upon arrival, she'd pissed off a lot of people. Including the Guild. Now their new, untested king was harboring their number one enemy.

But where could she go? What could she do? In her old world, she'd been a Guild Councilmember, but this Guild wanted to kill her. Most of her time had been spent tending her father's numerous love-children, but they were all dead. Rogue wanted-

 _Rogue!_

"I'm sorry!" She rushed inside as Rogue entered. "I forgot all about it! Just lemme get dressed!"

The Avenger untied her signature white scarf and frowned. "If ya aren't feelin' up to it-"

"No, no! Two minutes!"

 _Another_ group of people Raven had pissed off was the NYPD. After she'd crash-landed, a couple officers had attempted to detain her and she'd attacked them. The video footage went viral. Granted, everyone thought she was _Rogue_ and she wasn't coherent – it made everyone look bad. So Rogue arranged for her to meet with the officers and formerly apologize. A couple newspapers agreed to publish it as a way to promote Rogue's new Avengers team, the Unity Squad.

It was the first _productive_ thing Raven would do in this world. She was sick of nightmares and loneliness and depression. She wanted to be useful. She _wanted_ to make Rogue proud!

So she dashed around, snatching clothes and make-up as quickly as she could.

"Okay, I'm-" She opened her door to an intimate scene between them. They quickly turned away. Yet _another_ reason to leave… "Guys?"

Rogue re-wrapped her scarf. "Let's go."

…

 _Breck's  
Queens, New York_

" _Paaaarty! Whoo!"_

Remy wanted to selfishly bask in his rare solitude while Raven went out. Instead, he journeyed downtown to see what chicken wings might be half-price on a Friday morning. The party was waiting. A mousy ash-blond bride in white ruffles and cotton cuffs beamed at his arrival.

" _Gambit!_ "

"Darce!"

She hugged him, which was a first. He awkwardly returned the embrace as if she was half butterfly and half kitten.

"You look beautiful." He wasn't going to say otherwise. Not today.

"Like it?" She smiled and twirled to show the horror – high collar, empire-waist, ruffles that hid her modest bust and exaggerated her wide hips, and severe cuffs at the sleeves and hem – in its entire splendor. "It's my great-grandmother's wedding dress!"

"It's… white."

"Dude! Ya made it!" Fence thundered between them. He, too, was feeling expressive, and pounded Remy's back in a bro-embrace.

"We were _hoping_ you'd bring someone," Darce smiled.

She meant Rogue, of course, but Rogue knew nothing about his friends and less about their shared occupation. He wasn't sure how much information to share with her, either, now that she was employed by the world's strongest justice enforcement agency. But he merely said: "Wouldn't wanna give her any ideas."

And they laughed pleasantly.

"I'd say I'm happy you're here," said Fence, "But the truth is, I can't _wait_ for you losers to leave!"

"Stop that!" She smacked his Buddha-belly. "Oh! There's the Archivist! Let's go say hi."

The groom groaned as he was steered away.

Remy felt eyes on him and followed the sensation to a lonely woman in a burgundy pant-suit at the bar. Wicked grinned and he grinned back.

"Agent Cooper."

"Mr. LeBeau."

"Must've messed up big time t' get stuck babysittin' a weddin'. Or are you here t' feast on the souls of de innocent?"

"If I am, I'm in the wrong place. Darce and I go way back, believe it or not. Went to Dartmouth together. I was _shocked_ when she dropped out to pursue _freelance photography_. Makes _sense_ now... If this is the _best_ the Thieves can offer, you should be ashamed. Poor girl can't even afford a wedding dress!"

"Lower your damn voice!"

"Why? I already told her she looks like the Easter Bunny."

"You require _garlic_ or will _mint_ do?" He reached into his pocket for a container of tic-tacs, poured some into his palm, and threw them at her. Juvenile, yes, but he could invent no other solution without the possibility of prison.

She flinched and blocked her face from the pelting candy. " _Give_ me a reason!"

"You came to insult my friends." He threw another handful. "On their _weddin' day?_ "

She snatched the tiny container and launched it across the room. It smacked against the wall and broke on the floor. With tears brimming, she huffed: " _Your_ friends!?"

Suddenly, the deduction formed. Cooper had considered herself a close ally of Darce without ever really comprehending her career outside legal boundaries. Had Darce _used_ this friendship to her advantage? A case for her guilt was compounded when one figured that Cooper only realized the truth today – at Darce's wedding, where the issue wouldn't be confronted. Gambit felt something he hadn't expected. _Guilt_.

A wailing sound – like an ambulance or injured hound – filled the alley beside them. Louder and louder grew the bloodcurdling cry, which periodically paused to inhale.

He rushed outside and saw a naked girl running down the street. Stunned pedestrians recoiled in horror, so on and on she rushed until he caught her. She fought against his protective arms and his coat wrapped around her.

"Look at me! _Look!_ You're safe now."

Her wild eyes fell into his hypnotic charm. When he felt at ease, he dared to glance at Agent Cooper.

"Never a quiet day for an X-Man," she whispered.

…

 _Village Temple  
Manhattan_

Rogue watched Raven and the officers making small talk. The _'pop'_ of cameras at every sentimental moment was getting irritating, so she finally told them to stop or leave. Raven glanced over and then back to the officers. Her eyes were dead.

' _God, she's lost it,'_ Rogue thought. So she asked, and then _insisted_ , that the reporters leave.

"What's your problem?" snapped a camera man. "You wanted us here, here we are!"

Raven trembled.

" _We_ write the story! Not you!" the reporter yelled.

One of the officers grabbed Raven's white knuckles. "You okay, honey? Need your mom?"

"She's NOT my mom!" she screamed. "And you're DEAD! You're all _dead men_ dancing with masks! Think I can't see the moon? I _know_ it's there!"

Rogue forgot the reporters and the police men. She gently, firmly took Raven by the shoulders and led her outside. The girl was indestructible. They didn't need her taking any more shots at people. So Rogue led her with a purpose, although she had no plan. Why hadn't Remy noticed her odd behavior? Why had she thought this was a good idea? The girl was a basket case. And if she turned violent… what could they do?

"I'm sorry," Raven shuttered. "Sorry, I'm okay now. Let's go back."

"Let's talk." She continued to a café, where they sat down to green tea.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "You must be so disappointed."

" _Disappointed_? Sugah, you survived the end of the world. Lost everything and everyone and you're still breathin'. Ah've got no right to ask you to do more."

"Everything… Everyone…" Tears streamed down her face. For a long time, she could only cry and Rogue let her. Finally, she said: "I can't even _talk_ about it… Like they never mattered."

"No one thinks that."

Her lip trembled and fresh tears flowed.

"Ah think you should see a doctor."

" _No_."

"Okay. You can talk to me, though. Ah know you tell Remy things… You can tell me, too."

"Those kids… were the biggest part of my life… My mother never knew."

"Your father's other children?"

She nodded.

"Your father wasn't my husband. Doesn't hurt me. And it's not a sin to love them."

Raven placed a hand over Rogue's. "Oli never forgave me. He knew if Momma had known, it would've _killed_ her. He wanted me to hate Daddy, too, and when I didn't… Things changed after Jack. That boy softened Oli's heart but it was too little too late. Daddy never forgave him and neither did the kids. I thought things would go back to how they were when Oli and I were little. We were _buddies_. I thought we'd have more time… But that didn't happen." She squeezed Rogue's hand. "I don't want you and Remy to make that same mistake. You _haven't_ got all the time in the world. Sometimes you've gotta suffer for love."

She blinked, startled. "Remy and Ah… It's complicated."

"All that's done can be undone if our hearts are in the right place."

…

 _Lower East Side  
Manhattan_

"Where've you been?" Rogue asked.

It was dark by the time Remy arrived home. After that poor girl was taken to the hospital, the Guild held an unscheduled meeting in one of his safe houses nearby. His motley crew bade for blood and it was decided that they'd settle the matter with their own swift justice.

He hadn't known if Rogue would stay with Raven until he returned, but coming home to her was a wonderful surprise. For a moment, he felt like he'd stepped into a dream. Then she spoke, and he awoke to hard reality.

Her words came out more spiteful than she meant. She started again: "Ah didn't think you'd be gone so long. Groom didn't jilt, did he?"

"No." He glanced at Raven's bedroom door, which was shut to muffle angry music. "Bad day?"

"Ah wouldn't say bad… _Challenging_. Ah pushed her too soon."

She grabbed her jacket from the closet, intending to leave, when his hand pressed to the small of her back. Warm pricks tingled in the wake of his touch. She wanted to feel it all over and at once. No one else had ever made her feel this way, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with desire. Everywhere he wasn't touching _ached_.

When she turned, his body instantly responded to the yearning in her eyes. He closed the space between them, pressed her against the wall, and was about to take her right there in the closet with Raven on the other side when reason prevailed.

"Wait, wait," he said. "We… we need t' talk."

"Ah'm not seein' Johnny anymore."

Of course she wasn't. She belonged to _him_ , although they hadn't been together since Paris. The thought of her being empty drove him crazy and he needed to claim her like he needed to breathe. But he knew Rogue. She stopped listening as soon as he pants came off, so he needed to tell her while they were still clothed.

"Chere, this is comin' across _casual_ and that's not how I feel. Think this means somethin' else for you."

"You think Ah don't have _feelings_ for you?"

"You don't know… I've done things…" He swallowed hard and started again. "I tried t' tell you in Paris. I work with dangerous people. You should know what you're gettin' into."

"You ain't exactly _safe_. And Ah don't scare easy."

Suddenly, the world went quiet. Raven had turned off the music – probably because she'd heard his voice. She'd be waiting. If he didn't go to her soon, she'd come for him, but for the moment, he didn't care.

Rogue was in his arms giving him those 'come get me, tiger' eyes. A few frail pieces of fabric: that was the only thing keeping them apart. But to discard those barriers would risk losing her forever. 'I'm your home, your harbor' he'd told her. He wouldn't be a campsite she continuously circled back to until someone better came along. But here, too, he had to proceed cautiously. Was he hearing what he wanted to hear? Or was she making a choice?

"Wanna tell you everythin'," he said. "But this ain't the time."

"Lust is probably cloudin' our judgement," she reached down and grabbed his erection, which he eagerly thrust into her hand. Pressing her against the wall again, he bit that sensitive spot on her neck. She hissed and curled against him.

"He never found that, did he?" he asked, still nibbling on her neck. His mouth climbed to her ear lobe, and when he grabbed it between his teeth, she gasped his name.

" _Lots_ a' me ain't been touched since you left…"

He saw her in his mind's eye – the smooth expanses of flesh, the secret crevices, the unwritten code that unlocked her pleasure… They weren't all taboo places, either: the soles of her feet, for example, or the skin behind her ear. But no one would know unless they loved her enough to seek them out. He wanted her body for himself. He wanted to make her teeth rattle and legs quiver. He wanted her until she couldn't walk.

Instead, he locked her in his arms and stilled his racing heart. "Wait. I'm leavin' tonight. When I get back, I'll explain everything. And if you still want me… I want you forever."

"Ah know," she said sadly. "Ah know…"

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Story Notes:** The title _'Veritas Temporis Filia'_ is Latin for 'truth is the daughter of time'. It means the truth always comes to light with enough time. I found out that Queen Mary I of England used it as her motto and really love it. Fence belongs to Marvel but Darce is my own creation. If you've read 'Vicarious' you may recall their reluctant courtship started there. Sorry but I don't have time to relate their racetrack to the altar. Basically, she'd fancied him for a long time and when he finally wised up, decided to put a ring on it before someone else did. You can find her wedding dress in an issue of _Vogue_ , believe it or not. I did not imagine that nightmare – it really exists.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

 _Ain't no man who can save me,  
Ain't no man who can enslave me.  
Ain't no man or men that can change the shape my soul is in.  
There ain't nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fears  
'Cause I got only love to share.  
If you're looking for truth, I'm proof. You'll find it there.  
~Ain't no man by Avett Brothers_

Remy felt like a cretin. Bailing on Raven when she'd suffered a breakdown and Rogue when they'd finally had a break-through wasn't his heart's desire. But he had no choice. The evidence surrounding the girl he'd rescued would vanish if he delayed, and she'd been through too much to suffer another miscarriage of justice.

The Guild members immediately at hand – Fence, Darce, Alias, Seven, and himself – gathered at his safe house for final instructions.

"Cops are callin' her 'Jane Doe'," Fence said. "Between ten and twelve years old. No sexual assault but evidence of physical abuse and malnutrition. They combed the building where she was held. _Surprise, surprise!_ Didn't find a thing."

Alias added: "Building was condemned and scheduled to be demolished, but the demolition was continually postponed at the request of an LLC that doesn't exist. I checked everything, it's all phony. But I did question a couple of local _amateur artists_ who said a big purple Cadillac came around sometimes. They ran off, never looked to see who was driving."

"Purple Cadillac?" Gambit looked to Fence, who was already scanning security cameras in the area.

"I checked missing persons," said Seven. "And Darce verified the picture. Her name's Marie Bennett of Ottawa. State removed her from her parents six months ago, and last week, she ran away from her foster home."

Darce nodded. "Yeah, I spent all night at the hospital. The girl's a walking Petri dish. Scarlet fever, TB, hepatitis… It'll be two weeks before she's safe to be questioned, but… her mind's broken. I don't know if she'll ever recover."

The room fell quiet as Fence worked, combing through image after image. Finally, he shouted: " _Bingo!_ "

"Can you see the tag?" asked Seven.

"Hm… Negative."

Everyone tried their eyes. In one blurry shot, it was partially visible, but angled beyond legibility. Finally, Darce said: "It's an _Ontario_ plate! I know those patterns!"

"Customs will have this son of a bitch," said Fence. "Just gotta find it."

Gambit assigned Seven and Darce to the tedious task of scanning customs records while he and Alias journeyed north to question Bennett's estranged family.

…

In Remy's absence, Rogue could confidently say her relationship with Raven had moved from 'strained' to 'dysfunctional'. It started as soon as he left. Raven wanted to stay at his place – _alone_ – and Rogue had to dance around the phrase "suicide watch". When at last she agreed to stay with Rogue (no 'thank you' or anything), she walked through her enviable penthouse without one word and proceeded to sulk in her room all day.

She showered, ate, and exercised, but when they met at the end of the day, she had nothing to say. Rogue found it difficult at first, sacrificing her evening tranquility to converse with a guest who never left, but now she anticipated these conversations. Having company was a pleasant change. _If only_ her company could discuss something other than mediation, Bible verses, and traffic on the way to feed Remy's cats.

Was this _normal_?

Enough was enough. Eventually, some baddie would crash onto the scene and _she_ would have to leave, too. Raven needed to get a life.

Luckily, Rogue had the solution. Following a series of adventures and tragedies, the Jean Grey High School suffered a skeletal staff. Storm, as new Headmistress, was feeling the pressure and Rogue was _determined_ that Raven could help.

"Will there be reporters?" Raven asked.

"Ah don't think that'd be _helpful."_

They flew to Salem Center and immediately landed to evidence of disorder. The _bamfs_ had activated the sprinklers, and the students rushed in panicked stampedes. Bobby and Angelica tried to gain some control, but they were overwhelmed. Where was Rachel? Ororo? _Anybody?_

Raven punched the ground hard enough to crack the earth's crust. The deafening boom caused the students to pause, and at last, they heard Angelica's horse cry directing them to the field.

"A little help?" Bobby called.

Raven dashed after him, but before Rogue could follow, her personal buzzed with an incoming call from Steve Rogers, the original and now ancient Captain America.

"I need you to come in," he said. "Nothing urgent but sooner rather than later. I can send a car if you need it."

"Ah'm in Salem Center. Give me fifteen." Raven was already gone, so she sent a text and headed back to Manhattan.

Inside the main hall, Raven helped Bobby Drake, the X-Man known as 'Iceman', shut off the water. It was too late to avoid an insurance claim. They – and everything else – were soaked.

"Thanks for your help," he smiled. "Usually when people drop by, it's to destroy things."

"Is it _always_ like this?" She wrung out her hair.

"This is a _good_ day." He surveyed the ankle-deep standing water. "How are we gonna _clean_ this? I could freeze it I guess, but-"

She ran a few feet, belly-flopped, and slid down the hall.

"These floors are _disgusting_!" But he sounded impressed.

She skidded towards the intersection and collided with a man's legs. Water carried in her wake crashed around them and washed over her head.

"Are you alright?" He helped her stand.

Bobby rushed behind her. "Where the hell've you been? We could've used your help!"

"Those rabid beasts locked me in the basement."

Raven stood and came face-to-face with Nate Grey. Her smile melted.

Still holding her arm, he said, "My name is Nate but you already know that. You know a lot about me. Or some _version_ of me." He examined her. "He hurt you."

"I wasn't expecting this," she said breathlessly.

"Nor I. Please don't go. I know it's painful for you and I apologize but it's been so long since anyone looked at me as if… as if they _knew_ me. You know that feeling, too. Stay. Please."

She gathered her courage. "I'll help ease your loneliness if you'll ease my pain."

"You carry your pain like a constant companion. Parting you would be cruel."

"Yeah," she smiled. "You were a real _jerk_ in my world, too."

…

 _Schaefer Theater  
Manhattan_

Rogue had been expecting a private meeting with her boss. Instead, she entered his office to face the notorious Black Widow, SHEILD deputy director Maria Hill, and an unknown man in a dark green suit.

Rogers spoke. "Rogue, thank you for coming so quickly. How's our favorite clone holding up?"

"Ah assume you mean _Raven_. Don't call her that, clones don't have souls. And she's great."

"Sorry, I meant no offense."

"Allow me to introduce Mr. Takahashi, our ambassador to Ontario," said Hill, "Agent Romanov will be sitting in as well."

"Ah don't appreciate bein' _ambushed_."

"Please take a seat." He waited and then continued: "Do you know where Gambit is?"

She looked at Takahashi and back again. "Is he in _Ontario_?"

"Any idea why?"

"Pissin' off the wrong people by the looks of it."

Natasha smirked. "You _must_ know that what he did looks _pretty bad_. If you know something, spill."

"What'd he do?"

Hill hesitated for a moment. "Stole a teleporter to get to Ontario. Stole a couple of cars – returned them – and stole some government documents. Still waiting to see if _those_ are returned with the teleporter… He and a young lady were last seen in Ottawa talking to Mr. Joseph Green. The next morning, Mr. Green was deceased."

She shrugged. "Sounds circumstantial."

"That law degree's paying off."

Natasha leaned towards her. "Green's been trafficking girls for _two years_. He keeps crossing borders, changing identities. I've been on him for six months. If a bullet could solve this problem, it would've been done _long_ ago, but we need to know _who's_ working with him and _where_ those girls are being sent."

"Ah… Ah'm confused… Why am Ah here?"

Hill sighed. "Look, SHEILD and the Thieves Guild have a long-standing truce. He might've listened to Fury, but he doesn't want _me_ telling him how to do his job. The _next_ time he wants to play cowboy, he needs to check with me. I'm covering his ass, it's the least he could do. And if he stumbled across anything that might help Black Widow with her case, he should pass it along."

She was still reeling. "You want me to _spy_ for you?"

" _Spy?_ " Her eyes widened in disbelief. " _Forget it!_ Gambit will read you like a _book_."

"Why do you think the team always invites you to poker night?" Natasha smiled.

"There goes the Quinjet again! How'd he get the keys?"

They laughed and Rogue lost her temper.

"Then _why the hell_ am Ah here?"

"She wants you to keep Gambit in line," replied the Black Widow. "Word of advice, just between us girls – don't force him. Don't manipulate him. Tell him _you need his help_. He won't like it, but he won't be able to stop himself."

Disgusted, she left without another word.

…

Remy thought he'd gotten away with it.

The Bennett family had connections to Joe Green, who drove the purple Cadillac. Gambit and Alias got to him before the cops and scared him. Then they waited. As expected, he contacted his associates to warn them. After they'd been flushed out, Remy followed up for a more _thorough_ inquiry. Green panicked and the words poured out.

" _Honest ta God, man, I dunno what he does with those kids! I just pick 'm up and Nib-"_

Suddenly, Green's head exploded like a watermelon. The Thieves ran for cover and waited but no further shots were fired and no one came to look for them. They covered their tracks and waited for the autopsy. A Guild contact in the morgue acquired a rough draft of the findings and put it in their hands before they returned home. Turns out, Green _wasn't_ shot. It was – as it had appeared – an explosion from _within_ his cranium. Some unknown device, too damaged to identify, had been responsible.

Remy left it in Fence's capable hands and dropped in to see Rogue. He usually called to check in around dinner time and thought if he surprised her at home, maybe he'd score more than a conversation.

But she was furious. "So how was Ottawa?"

Shocked, the first thing that came out of his mouth was: "Where's Raven?"

"At the school. With Nate Grey. Who she's _apparently_ in love with. Oh! And Storm wants to give her a _job_!"

"Why's that upset you?"

" _It doesn't!_ Ah'm upset with _you_ for changin' the subject 'cause it means you're gonna _lie_!"

"It's been a long day," he sighed. "Can I sit?"

"Sure! Wanna drink, too?"

"…Not if you're gonna poison it."

" _Keep jokin'_." She dared.

"Chere, I'm sure you've heard the worst, but I _didn't_ kill Green. Autopsy will prove it. Come _absorb_ me if you want. Then you'll know exactly what I was doin' and why."

She visibly deflated. " _Swear_ you didn't?"

"On my brother's grave."

She dropped on the couch beside him and held her weary head. "Remy… You _sabotage_ us. _All_. _The_. _Time_."

"Lie by omission's nothin'. Remember that time I tried to kill you?"

"That wasn't you."

"But it happened."

"Ah know you've got secrets. Ah understand. But Ah _love_ bein' an Avenger and Ah can't have any more days like today. If we're gonna make this _work_ , Ah need you to be _honest_ with me. Even if you can't be _open_."

" _Love_." He chuckled bitterly. "There's a word you don't throw around."

"Neither do you."

"I love you. I love Raven. I love Stormy. But you? Do you love _me_?" He waited for an answer that never came. "If you're still ambiguous… or if the answer's _no_ … then you _really_ won't love me after the truth comes out."

"You _said_ you'd come clean!" She roared.

"Temporary insanity."

" _Liar!_ Ass!"

"If you're tryin' t' hurt my feelin's, you'll have to do better than that."

"What _feelings_? You say it so sweetly but it _doesn't_ mean anything to you! As soon as there's any real _risk_ of your heart being broken, you throw up your walls. Ah knew you'd never come out but Ah thought you'd let me in."

"Already know I'm a liar and a thief. You really need the specifics?"

"Ah need you to keep your promises!"

"And I need you to believe I'm protectin' _you_ , not _me_. _Merde_ , I _can't_ be honest without breakin' your heart! What made you think I'm secretly a great man? I'm bad news. Never lied about that. I wanna be the man you think I am, but you're right not to trust me. _Hate me_ , even. But I never spoke truer words in my whole damn life than when I said I loved you. Don't throw it back in my face!" His felt his face sneer and forced his expression to smooth. "Lost my temper… Sorry."

She hugged her arms and said quietly: "Please go."

He went home, peaked into Raven's abandoned room, and collapsed in bed. Three purring fur balls curled around him. The _kittens_ had missed him, at least.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** Yep, Rogue was pursuing a law degree at one point. Gambit tried to kill her (twice) under the influence of Apocalypse's Death.

Since Oli and Remy never got along, I think it's only fair that Raven and Rogue also struggle. It's kind of heartbreaking… If all four of them were ever together, there'd be a harmony that's otherwise lacking. The family just isn't complete. On another note, I tried a different approach to Remy and Anna's relationship. Instead of the passion and frantic drama typical of a NEW relationship, I tried to instill some of the familiarity and irritation of a more mature one. They've been together for forever…

Finally, I apologize if the Marie Bennett story line slows things down. It will play more predominately in later chapters. I prefer character interaction _infinitely_ more to story progression, but since Gambit and Rogue are currently so invested in their careers, they'd been too out of character without work. That, too, will feature more in the near future. Please let me know what's working and what's not. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

 _Taking back an empty threat  
More than you could ever know.  
Take it back with no regrets.  
I was better off when I was on your side  
And I was holding on  
To try and not forget  
Hoping that you'd never know.  
Take it back with no regrets.  
I was better off when I was on your side.  
~Empty Threat by Chvrches_

…

The instant Remy returned home, he was treated to a kitty re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo. Raven had made costumes out of felt and small toys. Her soldiers were wildly insubordinate, but she marched on. He watched sympathetically. Since Raven refused a psychic evaluation, Storm had withdrawn her job offer, and Raven was once more restless at home. She might've agreed if Nate had stayed and examined her, but the rootless shaman had flown again. Luckily, Storm had also demanded Raven get a teaching degree. She'd enrolled in a local community college and it was the one bright spot in her life.

It had been a disappointing week for Remy, too. He hadn't heard from Rogue since she'd kicked him out. A day or two later, he discovered that her team had been suddenly called away, but _she_ didn't tell him. Would she ever speak to him again? Remembering the betrayal in Agent Cooper's eyes at Fence's wedding made him wish he'd been more contrite. He didn't know what he could've done differently… Rogue hadn't been ready to listen. And if he'd told her, she would've tried to "rescue" him, which was the _last_ thing he wanted… But he was very sorry that he'd had to deceive her and that he'd hurt her. Why hadn't he told her _that_?

Grinning painfully for Raven, he said: "I'm gone for twenty minutes and you've turned int' the crazy cat lady."

She put her hands on her hips. "I just thought- Oliver, no!" She rushed to scoop up a pocket knife that he was batting around. "I did _not_ give him that."

"Of course not," he smiled. "That would be _crazy_."

She pursed her lips.

"Ever been to Kentucky, _mon chou_?"

Why had it taken him so long to remember Sam? The X-Man turned Avenger hailed from a large Appalachian family. Remy never considered him a _friend_ , but he remembered Sam had a dead father, sick mother, and large farm to support. An adventure in the hills might be exactly what Raven needed. Unfortunately, Sam wasn't convinced.

"Half of us've moved out," he said. "Mom's cancer's been in remission for two years. Thank God. And she sold the farm."

"L'Enfer."

"Ah don't know what that means. But Ah've got a place in Lexington that could use some work if that's what she's lookin' for... Kids'll be outta school for Thanksgiving, maybe Ah can get everyone there for a visit. But Ah hate to part y'all on a holiday."

"No invitation for your buddy Gambit? …Ain't very _Christian_ of ya."

…

 _Lexington, Kentucky_

It was snowing when Sam and Raven touched down. Ten acres of undeveloped frozen land littered with downed trees encompassed a two bedroom cabin. The dirt road had mostly washed away. Squatters had passed through, leaving a trail of trash.

Sam looked around and saw an unmovable mountain.

Raven saw an opportunity. In the first few minutes, she had him making a list of chores while she tidied the house. First, she turned on the utilities, and then set about making a large meal for his advancing kin.

Mom arrived first with the girls. Then Jeb's truck pulled up carrying the boys. Paige and Melody had already moved out, but ventured this far to be "home" for the holiday. After they were fed, Raven didn't hesitate to assign work, and amazingly, they obeyed. Mom was given a pass from manual labor, but she wouldn't hear of it. She rolled up her flannel sleeves and enlisted. Somehow – Sam never understood why – _he_ was blamed for Raven's bossiness! Perhaps it was habit. They were used to him giving orders since Dad wasn't around to do it. Or maybe it was their Southern hospitality, which prevented them from being rude to a guest. At any rate, she deflected their resentment and was incorporated into their ranks.

At night, the tiny cabin overflowed with Guthries. The girls didn't mind sleeping atop each other like kittens, but Jeb snored, Ray farted, and Lewis murmured in his sleep. Eventually, Sam slept on the porch and Jeb in his truck. With so many people piled in, they had to open all the windows at night, even in the snow. The radiating body heat kept him warm.

Before the holiday ended, Jeb and Cissie confronted Sam. They didn't want to see their hard work wasted on his further neglect of the property. Jeb bluntly asked if he planned to marry Raven and settle down here, which made Sam blush to the roots of his hair. She joked about being 'too crazy' for a 'slave driver' like him. Jeb and Cissie were out of school and unemployed and proposed a joint partnership in the property. They'd researched government grants and private businesses licenses; how much of the land was farmable and how much would be devoted to livestock. They had a solid business plan that trumped his current investment, so he agreed. His only condition was that they build their own house.

Mom was elated and the reunion closed on a high note.

Finally left alone with his thoughts, Sam realized how happy he was here. _Raven_ had made it all possible.

…

 _Lower East Side  
Manhattan_

" _Anna!_ " Remy opened his door. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Ah got tickets to 'The Nutcracker'. Raven said she always wanted her mom to take her… We had a fight before Ah left and Ah thought Ah'd surprise her. She in?"

"Sorry. She's in Kentucky with Sam. Thought she would've told you…"

"She doesn't tell me anything," she grumbled to herself. Then: "Here, take 'm. Ah'm sure you've got a friend who'd like to go. _Tutu's_ ain't really my thing."

His lopsided smile appeared and his demonic eyes disarmed her. " _Subtly_ ain't really your thing, either, chere."

"Hm?"

"If you wanna know if I'm seein' someone, ask."

"Ah _don't_."

"Show's tonight. You had t' buy de tickets and get here. Could've _called_ her. Bet you did. But you came anyway t' see if I had company, and if not, there's no time t' invite anyone else. I'd have t' take _you_."

She fumed. "Blow it out your-!"

"Calm down. Men in tights ain't _my_ thing, either. No more games, Anna... I missed you…"

Her tummy filled with butterflies.

"Why don't y' come in?" he said. "I'll make crawdad etouffee."

Her mouth twisted on bitter words, but Rogers had talked to her about her temper. She counted to ten and replied: "Ah think we _both_ know Ah can't say no to etouffee."

With a maddening grin, he swept open the door.

…

 _Lexington, Kentucky_

She was certain of her insanity now. But she couldn't help herself. Once the thought entered her mind, all other thoughts fled.

Careful not to disturb Cissie sleeping beside her, Raven crept through the dark to Sam's room – terrified that she'd find Jeb on the floor and she'd be exposed. But Sam was alone and awake.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly. "Can't sleep?"

She crossed the room and kissed him. _Lightning._ It wasn't love. She was still in love with Vaughn – she knew it. But he was never coming back and the fire inside her threatened to consume her if it couldn't devour anything else. And Sam… was special. That was enough.

He gasped. "Raven, what-?"

"I like you," she said nervously. When he didn't reply, she pulled her nightgown over her head.

"Ah like you, too… _A lot_."

She kissed him again and pushed him back. Undressing one man was quite like undressing another, but his caresses were timid (Vaughn had been bold), and he smelled like mountain air (Vaughn smelled like trouble). Her flesh didn't care. It trembled and burned and screamed for him, and after a slightly awkward condom application, they finally crashed together.

He held her close to muffle the primal sounds. She was embarrassed by the depth of her passion, gushing over their thighs, and wished _Vaughn_ was beneath her. Then she felt ashamed. Tears streamed down his neck and when he tried to glimpse her face, she hid. Her flesh was oblivious to this emotion. Ecstasy was within grasp, and when she told him, he became oblivious, too.

With shamefully little encouragement, she climaxed.

He finished.

She quickly cleaned with his shirt and left before he could stop her. Dying inside, she crawled back into bed with Cissie, where she lay awake until dawn.

…

 _Lower East Side  
Manhattan_

"Since you called me out… _Are_ you?" Rogue asked, untying her scarf.

Remy pulled out pots and filled them with water. "Am I what?"

" _Seein'_ someone?"

"Not seriously." He stopped gathering ingredients to grin at her. "But I'm probably lyin'. Better _kiss_ me to be sure."

Oh no, she wasn't stepping on _that_ slippery slope!

"Sorry Ah vanished... Wasn't my _plan_ but Red Skull attacked." She knelt and extended a hand to the orange kitten. He reared up, raised his paws to attack, and tumbled on his back. The other two scattered. "Where'd you _get_ these stupid things?"

"Mystique, if y' can believe it."

" _Ah can't_."

"She saved 'm from Sabretooth."

"You're shittin' me… _Ah_ haven't heard from her in eighteen months!"

He diced an onion. "Hope y' can accept my apology, chere. Last time we saw each other… _Mais_ , you weren't the only one who'd had a long day. Things didn't play out like I'd hoped."

"That's kinda why Ah came." She stood and visibly gathered her courage.

He smiled weakly. "Don't ya wanna _eat_ first?"

"No. Ah'll lose my nerve." She inhaled deeply. "You're askin' me to go all-in without seein' your hand, but love shouldn't be a game. That's _stupid_. But you've been askin' for it all along, so Ah guess it's what you really want. For me to be reckless and rash-"

" _Unconditional_ ," he amended.

"Ah know you're back in the Guild."

"Lil' more than that." He simmered the onion. "They made me king."

"What? Like – king of New Orleans?"

" _Non_. King of _Thieves_."

" _Everywhere_?" She slowly sat on his couch.

"Candra's death left a power vacuum. Thieves were at each other's throats, threatenin' t' tear it apart. I didn't _want_ it. What choice did I have? Worked out the growin' pains now and I feel like I belong. _Finally_."

"When we were a _team_ and you were _teachin'_ – you didn't feel like you belonged?" She waited but he never answered. "You were _out_ , Remy. Maybe life wasn't perfect, but at least you weren't _stealin'_! Ah feel responsible. Like you went back because Ah… Because of me and Magnus…"

"You can say it. Think you're the first t' tell me?"

"Don't start. What kinda life are _we_ gonna have together? You're a _career criminal_ and Ah'm a _superhero_. What happens if SHEILD decides you've crossed too many lines? Whose side am Ah on? What if a bigger baddie overthrows you? Is _SHEILD_ gonna protect you? It's _way_ more complicated than buyin' an extra toothbrush holder! Maybe _you_ think it's stupid, but _Ah_ need to know you'll catch me if Ah leap."

"I know we're made for each other," he said quietly. "But maybe this ain't the right time."

"Ah _don't care_. Ah thought Ah could replace you with a man who was better lookin' or more charmin' or a better cook, but Ah only felt lonelier. And Ah thought, 'why am Ah tryin' to _replace_ him when Ah already know what Ah want?' Ah want _you_. God knows you don't make life easy, but Ah've tried to do without you. _Anything's_ easier… Please don't make a joke."

He crossed the room and took her hands. "I promise it ain't as bad as all that. SHEILD and the Guild go way back – long before me." He lowered his voice. "But if Hill or anyone else decides they're done with me, I've got a safety net. Never put all my eggs in one basket… And I'd never leave you in the cold, Anna."

"Maybe we should cut to the chase? Run away together now."

"No. I want you as you are. Bein' an Avenger, defendin' people – it's a part of you. Don't want you to quit. We can make this work."

"Won't be easy."

"Nothin' worth havin' ever is."

…

 _Lexington, Kentucky_

Avoiding him was cowardly, but Raven couldn't be brave. All morning, she hid in plain sight. He wouldn't make a scene in front of his brother or sister, and if he pulled her aside, they'd instantly know why. So she was safe.

Havok, another X-Man turned Avenger, called during lunch. Sam stepped outside to take the call and when he returned, he barked at Raven to follow.

"What happened?" she asked as she crossed the porch.

He stopped, rounded on her with cold blue eyes, and said: "There's been an incident."

"Gambit?" Her heart dropped.

"No."

"Rogue?"

"She's fine."

She exhaled. "Then I'm not going."

"Listen, some alien flora was accidently dropped in Cumberland. We're the closest agents."

" _I'm_ not a hero."

"What're you talkin' about? You've got powers most people only _dream_ of!" When she ignored him, he asked: "Who died?"

She froze still and silent as stone.

"No one's gonna die today," he continued. "But if the water gets contaminated or cattle feed gets tainted, people _could_ die. That's why we need to move. _Now_."

She turned her sad green eyes toward him. " _Promise_ you won't die?"

"Sweetheart, Ah swore long ago Ah'd never die in Cumberland. Let's go."

…

 _Lower East Side  
Manhattan_

Confused, Rogue awoke in a strange bed. Then she smelled Remy and felt his lips against her shoulder. She smiled.

"Happy?" he asked.

"Very." She felt his erection curve along her backside. "Remy, Ah'm _sore_."

Make-up sex was the best part of reconciling, and if he wasn't so good at it, she might lament their break-ups more. Everything had changed last night. He'd had her every way a man could have a woman, and that deep, searing pleasure marked her as his. He, too, had been branded in a way she didn't yet understand. But something had been extracted from him. She could _feel_ it. He was lighter, somehow – _unburdened_. They were, at last, content.

"I'll be gentle," he promised, sending a bolt straight to her groin. Her thighs parted willingly, and although she thought herself sated, his tender administrations revealed otherwise. Such exquisite pleasure arched her spine. Words she'd been holding back all night poured out in a torrent.

"Ah'm _yours_ , my love. You belong here. God, can't you _feel_ it?"

His lips sealed hers, stole her breath. "What do you feel?"

"Love," she groaned.

"Say it."

"No… You think Ah lose my mind when we get naked."

" _Say it_."

"Ah love you. Ah love you, Ah love you, Ah… Oh god, Remy, that's the spot."

He went for broke, all promises of being gentle forgotten as he made her come with impossible intensity. Beyond the sound of her own screams, she heard him call her name. Then he gave her that tender and grotesque gift meant only for her.

In the afterglow, they laid side-by-side with racing hearts.

His phone rang.

"Raven?" She popped up.

He looked at the screen. _Fence_. "Duty calls. 'Cuse me."

"Hey, man! Where you been? I've been workin' my ass off all night!"

"Heh, me, too. Whaddaya got?"

"Busted open Green's contact log and I've got visuals on the pervs now. If your royal highness isn't too detained, would you like to give your minions marching orders?"

"I'll meet you at the safe house in thirty." He looked over his shoulder at Rogue. "Make that sixty."

She waited until he hung up to say: "It's about that girl, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"SHEILD was workin' that case, too." She hesitated. "They want me to _handle_ you. Make sure you don't get these guys before they do."

He raised a brow.

"Ah asked you to be honest. Wouldn't be fair if Ah didn't do the same… But Ah think it's the _right_ thing to do, Remy. That girl had the X-gene. It hasn't activated yet but she's _still_ one of us. If you help my team, we can give her closure and bring them to justice."

He smiled cynically. "Assumin' they don't flip on someone bigger. Or buy a better lawyer. How's that _justice_?"

"Xavier and Cyclops operated in the dark for _years_. What'd it get us? People don't trust us because they _shouldn't_. We have to shed _light_ on what we do. We have to show the world _why_ mutants hide or lash out. Ah wanna crucify those creeps, too. _Please_. Trust me."

He checked the time. "You've got forty-five minutes t' get Hill on board."

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** Sam's farm seems to be one of Marvel's many dropped plot points, but it exists! I thought it'd be lovely if he'd include some of his many siblings on the property. Rogue and Magneto hooked up at the end of Carey's run on 'X-Men Legacy', and at the time, she called him 'Magnus'. She's since started calling him 'Erik' – whatever, he goes by both. I decided to use the former since that's what she called him when they were together. Raven looks less than heroic here, I know; please be patient with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

 _I gotta get myself up off the side of the road.  
Quit lying to myself and let the truth be told.  
My head is heavy and my heart is empty,  
But my spirit is strong and my legs are ready.  
I gotta get myself off the side of the road.  
~Off the Ground by The Record Company_

…

 _Cumberland, Kentucky_

The anticipated containment mission quickly spiraled into full-fledged evacuation. The extraterrestrial flora was _extremely_ aggressive. It devoured ninety percent of the plants it came into contact with. The remaining ten percent were transformed into thorny, poisonous hybrids with needle-like seeds. Luckily, they kept it away from the water sources until SWORD arrived and secured the area.

"Lotta bears in this area," said Sam. "Ah'm sure _some_ of them got infected. We should stay in case-"

"You're exhausted!" Raven said. "If a rabid bear comes, it's gonna eat you!"

He conceded defeat. After nearly twelve hours without rest or water, he was too exhausted to fly home, so they found a B&B. Cumberland didn't have much to offer tourists, but if she thought the locals would welcome two mutants – _unmarried!_ – into their establishments, she was in for a shock. Sam politely set her aside as he argued with the landlady. The parlor was small and Raven was sure she would've overheard them even without her superhuman hearing, but she pretended otherwise. He pretended not to be livid.

Finally, key in hand, he led her upstairs.

"They should be proud of you," she said quietly. "You're their hometown hero."

"It's okay. Ah'm ashamed of them, too. Minin', teachin', dealin' or preachin'. Bunch of toothless hicks too stupid to offer their kids anything better."

"You don't mean that. You're tired."

"Yeah," he smiled. "Go ahead and shower. I'll get you something to wear and your clothes washed before check-out."

"How? I haven't seen a K-Mart _yet_."

"Let me worry about that."

Her heart flooded with something it wasn't ready to accept. He looked a little like her late husband… more so in the dark. Their personalities were opposites. But somehow, she and Sam had fallen into the same dance. They took care of each other.

When she stepped out of the shower, he'd placed a Victorian sleeping gown nearby. It smelled like mothballs. More motivation to sleep nude…

Back in their room, he'd arranged dinner on the desk – spaghetti and root beer.

"Everything's closed," he explained. "So I hijacked the kitchen… What's wrong?"

Suddenly, she couldn't catch her breath. Her heart pounded frantically against her ribs. Wheezing, she said: "I can't breathe! Oh god, I'm gonna die! I knew _someone_ would die!"

"Here, lay down. Don't gasp like that or you'll hyperventilate. In through your nose, out through your mouth. In through your nose… Good. Better now?"

"What was that?"

"Ah think you had a panic attack, sweetheart. We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Us."

"What about us?"

"What's all this… _about_?"

"Sam, you're talking in circles!" She sat up. "I wanna be a part of your family and I want you to be a part of mine. I love you. What _else_ would it be about?"

"You do?" His eyes searched hers. "We hardly know each other."

"We share the same faith, values, morals. That's what's _important_. I know it seems quick, but I lost everything and everyone in the blink of an eye. Who knows how much time we'll have? I won't waste it on propriety. Don't you want a family? Don't you want someone to build your life with? I do, and I want it with _you_."

He held her face in his hands. "You mean it? You'll marry me?"

Breathless, she nodded.

"You'll have my children?"

A grin exploded between his hands and she nodded. "I want a big family."

"We better get started then."

…

 _Camden, New Jersey_

"I don't think this is a good idea," said Darce.

Rogue had convinced Hill to authorize her team to work with Gambit. They'd successfully tracked an associate of Joe Green, only to have _that_ man die under similar mysterious circumstances, too. So they were trying a different route. Hitting the black market, Fence uncovered a possible supplier for the tiny murder mechanism. Tonight he would attempt to purchase an undamaged model. If this was the weapon, Rogue would apply her special skills to learn who'd been buying in bulk.

"They call it the _Decimator_!" Fence explained as she logged onto his internal hard drive. As a cyborg, he wouldn't have the wear a wire or stay within camera range. He came fully equipped. "Small as rice. They jam it into the sinus cavity and at code words – _phmf_! No more headaches."

"You're not a _field_ agent, babe," his wife complained. "Let me go. At least _I've_ got experience."

He puffed with fury. "I'm the man! I do _manly_ things like chat up serial killers! Besides, _you_ can barely work a _smart phone_."

"And _you_ can't smell danger on a week-old gas-station tuna sandwich!"

"We'll have agents at every possible entry," Rogue said. "Ah'm not afraid to send 'm in. And if you want backup, what's the word?"

"Vienna," he replied, glancing at Darce. She melted a little, but her instincts proved correct.

Fence's contact had a friend who could supply. Unfortunately for him, this 'friend' smelled a rat and after an ugly confrontation with Fence, pulled the contact aside. Rogue watched from a security camera as he heaved Fence's contact onto a blade.

"Get him out!" she called to the rest of her team.

The murderer turned in time to see Deadpool approaching. " _Fuck_ ," was all he said before pulling a bullet through his own brain.

Lost. All their work – _lost_. The police rolled in with strobing blue lights, yellow tape, and forensics. Slumped in a booth, Rogue watched hopelessly.

"Call Hill yet?" Gambit asked.

"Ah was hopin' to have some _good_ news first."

"Fence survived his brief career as a field agent."

She sighed heavily. "But whoever we're after _knows_ we're after them. SHEILD can reach everywhere but they're so damn _slow_. All these guys have to do is keep _runnin'_ and we'll never stop them. Ah'm sick of it! Let's do this. You and me. When Hill catches up, we'll fill her in."

"Anna, this is the end of the line," he quietly replied. "I got no more leads. Besides, you'll never forgive yourself if you don't go back to your tower."

Her eyes turned to daggers. "You don't trust me."

He was speechless. Maybe he shouldn't have said it, but he didn't think it'd piss her off. It wasn't an insult, merely an observation. Before he could explain himself, her eyes filled with furious tears and she flew away.

A buzzing in his pocket distracted him. _Raven_.

"Ready t' come home?"

She was weeping hysterically.

"What-?"

" _Why does everyone always leave me?!"_

The line died. He tried to call her back, but it went straight to voice mail. His mind was still reeling from the night's ordeal, but he thought Sam would enlighten him. No answer. Nor did he reply to any of Gambit's menacing text messages.

Across the dark parking lot, Darce cranked her little compact car. Fence looked pale and nervous in the seat beside her. He didn't see Gambit, but she did, and she wasn't happy. They left him, too.

He'd never felt so alone.

…

 _Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis  
New Orleans_

On a Tuesday morning, Raven had the place to herself. She hadn't meant to journey this far. She simply started running from her thoughts and her feet led her home.

Seven months ago, she'd gotten married here. Daddy walked her down the aisle as slowly as he dared. She'd worn her mother's wedding dress and Vaughn gave her the same ring her father had given her mother. Then Father blessed the happiest union the church had ever made. Afterwards, her little sisters bubbled with questions about sex. They were on a cusp of womanhood and obsessed with physical love… Something they'd never known and never would. Of course, they hadn't known that at the time. In her great arrogance of immortality, she'd relegated Oli, Meg, and their newborn to the sidelines. _'When Meg and I both have babies,'_ she'd thought, _'we'll have something to bond over.'_

But that never happened.

She lit a candle and prayed to the bleeding figure of Christ. His anguished eyes were turned from her. She'd slept with a man who wasn't her husband and never would be.

' _You were_ _ **married**_ _?'_ Sam's voice echoed in her mind. At first, he'd been sympathetic, or at least pretended to be. But then he said: _'Ah think we made a mistake.'_

Didn't he realize her eternal salvation was at stake? This never would've happened if her father was still alive. Why did 'never' and 'forever' feel so crushingly omnipresent?

She went to the organ, struck a chord, and blasted dust from the enormous brass pipes. Bones shook below her feet. And when she stopped, her mind was empty.

A beautiful tenor voice sang out, startling her.

" _Praise the Saviour, ye who know Him! Who can tell how much we owe Him?"_

"I'm sorry. I thought I was alone… I should've been more respectful."

"The Spirit _moved_ you. Allow me to _assist_ in your worship."

She played on; stumbling over the key change, but his flawless velvet voice covered her mistake. Focused on the keys, she couldn't meet his eyes, although she felt them run over her. What devil brought such desires into the house of God? Once more, Christ averted his eyes.

" _Then we shall be as we should be, and we will be what we could be. Things that are not now nor could be soon will be our own."_

The devil wore a small red turban over visible black curls. His skin tone was naturally vibrant, the sort of sun-kissed, ethnically ambiguous tone envied by the bored and famous. His handsome face framed black eyes and a close-cropped Van Dyke. Broad shoulders tapered to a lean body, dressed sensibly and milder than she was accustomed. In a crowd, she wouldn't pick him out. But she noticed him now. When he saw her eyes run down him, he smiled like a spider to a fly.

"Why don't we leave the Savior's sight? A healthy dose of _sin_ will dry those pretty eyes."

…

 _Salem Center_

"Clear the way, everybody!" Bobby shouted. "Avenger coming through!"

Rogue boarded the Blackbird with a smirk. Falling back into the X-Men comradery felt like coming home. Tragic, then, that she her homecoming was prompted by their former leader's insanity. Scott Summers, the epitome of Xavier's dream and nightmare, had gone off the rails long ago, but slaughtering his mentor had been his Rubicon. Now he led the New Charles Xavier School, founded on the ruins of the Weapon X facility. What sort of man built an empire on salted earth? Magik, Magneto, Namor, and the White Queen rounded out his mentally-stable staff.

Whenever a new mutant came into their powers, Scott had a way of knowing before anyone else, and scooping them up for himself. His most recent recruit was little Marie Bennet – the girl Gambit rescued on Fence's wedding day. Cyclops abducted her from her rehabilitation home. Whether or not she was safe or _wanted_ to be there, no one knew. No one really had _custody_ of the girl, and Scott's little kingdom had been granted sovereignty, which meant no country or law-enforcement agency could confront them without risking serious repercussions.

Luckily, the X-Men existed on the fridge of society.

Psylocke and Colossus were already ready to go. From the pilot's sea, Storm nodded stiffly. Her usual serenity had been broken by the burden of caring for the school and Logan's recent demise.

"Sorry Ah'm late."

"You're not the latest," said Bobby. "Still waiting on Cannonball. Do Avengers run on mountain time?"

"No, sorry." Sam joined, panting. "Thanks for waitin'."

The jet hummed through lift-off.

Rogue pinned him with a glare. She'd heard the sketchy details of Raven's sudden escape, and her mind used the unknown to paint Sam in the worst light. "She's still _missin'_."

"Ah don't know how Ah can help. She didn't tell me where she was goin', and she doesn't want _me_ chasin' her."

It didn't take a super genius to deduce what had happened. Sweet Sam Guthrie had seduced her grieving... What Raven to her, anyway? Not a daughter – they were the same age, but she was _infinitely_ dearer than a friend. This beloved person had been seduced. Later, when they'd discussed the implications, he obviously wouldn't give her something she felt entitled to. Commitment? Marriage? Who knew? The heartbreak shattered her. If _Gambit_ could control himself until _after_ the unpleasant details were discussed, _Cannonball_ could, too.

Rogue wanted to break every bone in his body. She wanted to call every telepath until _someone_ found Raven. Then she wanted to extract every detail, heal every wound, and protect that poor heart until a good man came along. And, of course, _Raven_ couldn't be trusted to select this man herself… Who did that sound like? _Mystique_. Right or wrong, Rogue knew Raven needed to be alone. When she was ready to come home, she would.

Meanwhile, Rogue still had to work with Cannonball. He looked _miserable_ and it gave her hope that they'd work things out.

"You okay?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Ah feel like Ah've eaten a box of nails."

"We've all had our hearts broken. If you need to sit this out-"

"Deploy in fifteen," Psylocke called.

" _No_ ," he said. "Ah need to _work_."

…

 _Jamaica, Queens_

"Hope ya ain't still mad," Gambit smiled over an extra-large box of extra greasy pizza. "I come bearin' gifts."

"Hey, boss," Darce smiled wearily.

"Hot damn! Do I smell _feta_?" Fence emerged from the dark to embrace Remy. "Don't stand in the cold, man. Get in here."

Their apartment was a single room cluttered with a bed, books, and electronics. They cleared a spot, unfolded a table from the wall and sat on foldable step-stools. It was a considerable step down from Rogue's penthouse and lacked even Remy's scenic balcony, but they were newlyweds and New York was expensive.

" _And_ peppers?" Fence clutched his chest. "Lemme get my Pepcid."

Remy handed Darce a leather-bound book. "And for de lady…"

"Memoirs of Queen Isabella of Spain."

"First edition."

She tried not to look pleased. "You didn't have to do this."

"That a 'thank you'?"

Fence re-appeared and reached for her book. "What's this?"

"Not with pizza fingers!" she snapped. "What do you want to drink, guys? I've got Moscato or Stella."

"No drinks," said Remy. "This is a business call. We've got work to do."

"You don't come in a man's house and tell him what he can't do!" Fence barked. "You're not _King of Apartment 1080_. If _I_ want a beer with my pizza, I'll have one."

"And _do_ you?" Darce asked.

"Not if I'm working… But _not_ because you said so!"

"Raven's gone missin' and I need t' find her before the Guild does. Seven's been workin' on it, but-"

"Dunno why you didn't call me first." Fence held a pizza slice in one hand and his tablet in the other.

While he worked, Darce asked about Rogue and their mutual investigation.

"Wish I had somethin' more, but trail's gone cold."

"That poor girl…" She shook her head sadly.

"Got her!" Fence called. "New Orleans. But we didn't find her first."

Remy grabbed the tablet. The screen played someone's cell phone video of Raven singing karaoke. The image was clear enough to identify her by her signature white and brown hair and green half-jacket. She was drunk, by the looks of it, and off stage Remy saw a familiar face.

" _Nil_."

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** I spent some time researching these areas… I don't know what's considered the most improvised place in the States, but Cumberland has got to be high on that list. Jamaica, Queens is my grandfather's birthplace. Much nicer than Kentucky. The song Nil sang is an old hymnal, 'Praise the Saviour, Ye Who Know Him'. I really miss X-Man-Rogue, she's a lot more fun than Avenger-Rogue, so that's probably where she'll be under my control.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

 _There comes a time in a short life  
Turn it around, get a rewrite  
Call in a dark night of the soul  
Ticking of clocks, gravity's pull.  
First you get close, then you get worried.  
Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth  
Heavy as a feather when you hit the dirt.  
How am I the lucky one?  
I do not deserve to wait around forever when you were there first.  
First you get hurt, then you feel sorry.  
~First by Cold War Kids_

…

 _New Orleans_

The microphone popped, startling Raven, who tripped and fell off-stage. A table shattered, spilling beer and busting bottles. But she sat atop it, unharmed, breathless with laughter.

Nil pulled her up. "Come on, let's get you home."

They stumbled into the frigid night and then a cab. She'd never been drunk before – didn't even know if it was _possible_. The world blurred and spun and everything felt warm and wonderful. She couldn't stop touching him, and she knew she looked foolish, but she didn't care.

"We just met," he reminded her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "You should be more _cautious_."

"I watched my world end. Everyone I love is dead. And the man I wanted to re-build my life with _dumped_ me… Trust me. _You can't hurt me_."

"I don't wanna _hurt_ you," he said earnestly.

She kissed him then. They kissed all the way to the hotel and when he followed her up, she didn't stop him. Suddenly, it all became real. She'd really done it: picked up a stranger for a one-night stand. This was _wrong_. But she was sick to death of empty hope and broken promises. Tonight, she'd have _something_ she wanted.

"I need to shower," she said compulsively. Again, he followed her, and this time, their kisses were more urgent; their hands, more aggressive. He hooked her knee and lifted her leg, pressing in to meet her.

" _Stop!_ " she pushed him away. "Sorry… I can't."

They didn't look at each other. He had every right to be angry – she was angry with herself, too. Would he try to _force_ it?

"Can I have a minute?" he muttered.

She stepped out and considered bolting. They hadn't even exchanged phone numbers. She could grab her clothes and never see him again. But the alcohol and adrenalin drained away, leaving her empty, and she collapsed on the bed.

 _Vaughn turned her head and brushed her hair off her face. Then he crawled over her, his deft fingers working their magic. She basked shamelessly. Lifting, spreading, groaning: she gave him what he wanted. He gave, too, and so brilliantly that she couldn't tell his tongue from his fingers from anything else. She was cocooned in rapture. The dirty talk was new, but she didn't mind. And he'd acquired great patience in their time apart: ignoring her pleas while steadily pushing her towards the edge. When her body jerked away, he calmly re-positioned her and continued. It was incredible. Finally, she climaxed, and faded quickly into sleep._

Sunlight burned her eyes. She rolled over and realized she was alone. _'Of course he's gone,'_ she scolded herself. The empty pillow beside her held a note with his name and number, but she crumpled it without looking and threw it in the trash. _The trash!_ She picked up the canister and searched for evidence of consummation.

Last night, it hadn't mattered, but now she wanted to know if they'd actually committed it. Had he used protection? If so, he must've flushed it because there wasn't anything in the bins. What if _hadn't_? What if she got pregnant? She wouldn't even know who the father was because she and Sam hadn't used protection in Cumberland. Overnight, she'd become the most despicable of women.

 _Remy_. She had to get home and then she could fall apart… but not here.

Where was her jacket? Again, she searched the room. She panicked and searched the bedsheets, the dresser drawers, even the bath tub. _Nothing_.

The bastard had stolen her clothes.

…

 _Over Canadian Wilderness_

"Hostels. Twelve o'clock," Psylocke warned.

Everyone leaned forward to see the enemy and Bobby asked: "Cyclops?"

"Negative. He's engaged in defense. Rough estimate, I'd say a hundred armed insurgents."

The thick forest below finally opened to Cyclops's 'Nation X'. The staff battled against five score or more soldiers in white armor and faceless white masks. It was chaos.

Rogue led the deployment, although Colossus – with his solid steel frame – landed first. He barreled through the line, bullets deflecting off him, until he reached his sister. Back to back, they battled.

"Piotr!" she smiled. "How'd you know we were being attacked?"

"We didn't. It was _luck_!"

Iceman threw up solid walls to entrap the enemies. When they blindly fired, Cyclops blasted back, and his shots were dead-on.

In hand-to-hand, Rogue broke a man's arm and, confident he'd been rendered useless, threw him aside. She turned to her next opponent only for the one-armed man to attack from behind. Someone shouted her name and the would-be assassin exploded. Magneto stood nearby, looking guilty.

"You rip the _iron from his veins_ before the _gun from his hand_?!"

"Their weapons are not metallic. And… I did not intend for that to happen."

She wiped the crimson dripping from her face and rushed to help Betsy subdue others. Magik ripped open portals through which Colossus hurled opponents. Rogue acted as shield to Psylocke's sword; and on the peripheral, Namor and Emma had finally broken free. Iceman continued to erect sheets of ice which Magneto re-enforced. Once the lines had broken, they attempted to retreat, and landed in Bobby's prison. Cyclops, Magik, and Psylocke followed to finish them off, and although Rogue didn't follow, she didn't stop them, either.

Whoever had attacked Nation X had essentially declared war, and Rogue wasn't going to get any more involved. Her status as an Avenger could only complicate things.

Instead, she checked on Emma.

"I'll live," Emma said, irritably checking her bruises and cuts.

Scott didn't even glance her way when he emerged.

"Don't tell me I _missed_ it," Storm descended.

"Hey 'Ro," said Bobby. "You know what they say about those who _lead from behind_?"

She frowned. " _Someone_ had to park the jet."

Scott approached. "You could've set it to autopilot and let our systems guide it."

"I think _not_."

Rogue attempted to check Namor, who briskly waved her away. Next she went to Sam, who'd been uncommonly subdued. He was doubled-over and pale. If he'd taken a hit, she hadn't seen it.

"Cannonball, you alright?"

He heaved and vomited black blood at her feet.

…

 _Manhattan_

When Remy saw Nil watching Raven, his heart dropped. If she couldn't resist good-guy Guthrie, she'd be _helpless_ against Nil. And _he_ wouldn't try to stop her. The shark had a reputation for bedding and forgetting women. Worse, he bore a grudge against Gambit for taking Guild leadership. If Nil discovered Raven's identity… or if he already knew…

"I gotta get home," said Gambit. "Left my teleporter."

Fence laughed. "Man, if I had one, I'd use it to go everywhere! Store, bowling alley, the can-"

"Thanks for stopping by," Darce walked him to the door.

Before he dashed away, he heard Fence softly curse. His head snapped back. "Raven?"

He typed, pressed, and then punched his tablet. "Fuck, man! It's evolving!"

"What is?"

"That software we sold the Cartel!"

"You said that wasn't possible," Remy said quietly.

"I can think of a certain _technomancer_ who could make it happen! They're takin' over our system!"

"Nil?" Darce gasped. "It's a one-two punch! He's stolen the princess and now he's unleashed his army. _Hurry!_ You've gotta get her!"

"No, I've gotta warn the Guild."

Her mouth dropped. "You're not _serious_!"

"Names!" barked Fence. "Social security numbers! Bank accounts! He doesn't just have Raven, he's got _all_ of us. And he's _sellin'_ us to the bloody Cartel!"

Gambit pulled out his phone.

"Give me your key," she said. "I'll get the teleporter."

The air crackled in her absence. While Fence continued to fight the advancing virus, Gambit arranged a conference call with the Cardinals. First, he had to admit to harboring Raven, which they accepted with more grace than he'd expected.

"But Guildmaster, _you_ were the one who denounced her! Her destruction of Martin Manor was incalculable! We lost the Momentary Princess, possibly forever-"

"In case y' forgot, _I_ was there. I almost went up in flames, too."

"Why did you waste _further_ resources tracking her when _you_ had her?"

"My Guild and Council demanded retribution. Y' might not've noticed, but she don't kill easy. I spoke for my people and acted as an individual in everyone's best interest. But that ain't the crisis."

"What's she done now?"

"Nil has her. She's safe, but he means to use her as a shield. He's taken Fence's software and manipulated it t' work against us. All our intel is spilling into the web."

"Can Fence _stop_ it?"

Gambit looked at his bloated friend, shaking with rage. "Not for long. I recommend contacting Nil and offering him whatever payment he requires to undo it."

"What if he asks for the Kingship?"

"Give it to him."

They chuckled softly. Finally, someone replied: "We'll promise whatever he wants, but we have no intention of honoring it. We won't trade a good and dishonest king for an honest and greedy one."

He bowed his head. "I'm indebted to your wisdom."

After the call ended, he phoned Bella Donna – his New Orleans deputy. A sensible man always had more than one iron in the fire. Hopefully, she'd catch up with him before the Cardinals.

Darce returned with his teleporter and he stepped into his vacant family home just before dawn.

…

 _New Orleans_

Raven huddled in the bell tower wearing only a towel. If anyone found her, she'd _die_ of shame. The minutes dragged out slower and slower until time stood still.

' _Okay, we're here,'_ Nate's telepathic voice resounded in her head. _'Where are you?'_

She directed him to the church and finally he ascended the staircase with Hope.

He rushed to her. "Who did this? Did he _hurt_ you? Tell me _everything_. I need to know how _slowly_ he's going to die."

She burst into tears and Hope pushed him back. "Stop it, you're _upsetting_ her. Here," she handed her a duffle bag. "I brought some clothes. Let's get you dressed."

They retreated to a corner and Hope held up the towel while Raven shimmied into a sundress. When she turned, she realized Nate had been watching. Not _lustfully_. But he suddenly looked ashamed at being caught and turned away.

"Do you need a doctor?" Hope asked quietly.

"Doctors heal the body and her body's _indestructible_ ," said Nate. "How'd he catch you? Telepathy? Magic? Drugs? Do you think you're invincible to _everything_?"

"I… I had some drinks…"

"I was once an omega-level mutant, too. You _can_ be brought low. There are people out there who _prey_ on people like us."

" _Stop!_ " Hope warned.

"You can't just-"

She slapped him. "You _aren't_ helping! I'll take her to the school. Storm will know what to do." She put an arm around Raven. "I'll teleport us."

"Wait," she turned to Nate. "He's got my jacket… It was my mother's and it's all I…" Overwhelmed, she couldn't finish. "Don't _hurt_ him, okay? I'm not worth it. _Promise_ me."

His eyes darkened with rage. "I would hurt a _thousand_ men for you."

"Nothing comes from violence and nothing ever will. _Please_. Promise me."

"Very well."

Hope teleported her to Jean Grey School, but couldn't stay. She'd borrowed the ability from Pixie and couldn't be sure how long it'd last. Raven considered flying straight to Remy's apartment. What was the chance he hadn't figured out everything? He was probably in New Orleans at that moment… Rogue, she learned, had joined Storm's team that morning on a mission to Canada. _She_ wasn't going to drop everything to find Raven. That's why Raven hadn't called _her_.

In Storm's absence, Rachel Grey had taken charge.

"Can you just put me in touch with Gambit?" Raven asked. "He isn't answering his phone and I'm sure he's worried."

"It's not gonna _kill_ Gambit to be worried. _You_ , however, need help. And helping people's what I do."

…

 _Canadian Wilderness_

Betsy telepathically called the school and then carried Sam through Illyana's portal. He hadn't stopped vomiting blood and was probably dying, but there was no time for concern. The X-Men and Nation X had to make sure more attacks weren't coming. They needed to discover who'd launched the initial attack. And to make matters worse, _every single_ person thought _they_ should be in charge.

Rogue realized they'd freeze to death before anything was resolved. She moved to call SHIELD but Magneto destroyed the phone in her hand.

"Ah have _other_ ways to call them," she said.

"Do we _look_ like we need men in high towers to steal our freedom in the name of sanctuary?" He thundered. "Bring them here and count yourself among them! We expelled them before and will do so again!"

"How's this gonna look if you hide a massacre? _This_ is why people fear us!"

"Should we crave the respect of _cowards_?"

"Enough!" Emma snapped. "Jesus, we've all heard this before! _I'm_ going to search for survivors. There's a thought or memory somewhere. Rogue, darling, care to join?"

"Nothin' but _chiefs_ around here!" she complained as they surveyed the bodies.

Slowly, the others left as well. Storm refused to leave until she spoke with Marie Bennett, and at length, Cyclops acquiesced. The Rasputin siblings followed the truck tracks; Magneto attempted to repair the communications damages; Iceman and Namor secured the premises from further attack.

Draining dead fanatics of their last thoughts was tedious and unproductive.

"Why're we doin' this?" Rogue finally said. "Can't you just _scan_ them all?"

"My powers aren't what they were… since the Phoenix Five. Don't you have a double now? Where's she?"

"Raven? She's super strong, not a _vampire_ like me. She's my daughter or – some _version_ of me had-"

"X-Men stuff. Got it."

Rogue paused. "Her twin brother married your daughter. Had a child. Makes us family."

"Hells bells. Just when I thought I'd hit rock bottom, you tell me that some version of me is a grandmother!"

"Things are that bad?"

"Look at us, Rogue! Scott and I once led the entire mutant race. We were going to change the world. Now we can't even control our _powers_."

"Why don't you come back? Ah know teachin's where your heart is."

"Under _Storm_? I'm not _that_ desperate." She sighed. "Remember when Mystique tried to seduce Gambit? Everyone was _sure_ he'd been unfaithful. I was your _only_ friend. I can't believe I'm saying this but... I need _you_ to be _my_ strength. Even if I'm making a mistake."

…

 _Salem Center_

"No need to be bashful, my dear," said Dr. McCoy. "I assure you I will keep our conversation in strictest confidence."

Raven felt naked without her mother's jacket and rubbed her arms. "How're you gonna check me if you can't draw blood?"

"A urine sample will do."

She hesitated. "Can you run a pregnancy test, too?"

His eyes widened and he cleared his throat. "I certainly will, but I think the chances of _that_ are extremely unlikely."

"No offense, Dr. McCoy, but you really don't know me."

"I know your _biology_. Given the requirements of pregnancy and the resilience of your body, I assume the two would be incompatible."

"I've been pregnant before," she snapped and he apologized. But she didn't tell him how quickly that pregnancy had failed. She knew he was right. A fertilized egg was only the first step in conception. If her body refused to yield to the embryo's needs, it couldn't survive.

"Might I take the liberty of further studying your unique set of mutations?" he asked.

"Not today, Hank," said Rachel. She leaned against the door frame. "If you've got your sample, I need to check her for telepathic influences."

"I'll leave you ladies to it, then."

Blue and green eyes locked in a silent challenge.

"Doesn't take a psychic to know you don't like me," Rachel said.

"You told Rogue I was _crazy_."

"No. I told her that I didn't detect anyone else within your mind. You're not hearing voices anymore, so let's call it a win-win."

"You're not like the rest of us. Most of us – we exist in multiple dimensions. But you're _unique_."

Rachel searched her memory. "Did we _meet_ -?"

"Never in person, no. But when you were lost in space, _my_ Nate came to your rescue. _Nine months_ he was gone. Did he tell you he missed the _birth_ of his first child for _you_?"

"No. I'm sorry, I never knew... But I couldn't help _myself_ , let alone him. And anyways-"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You were going to say 'and anyways they're all dead now, so what does it matter?' Weren't you?"

"And anyways, _his_ child was still there when he got home. _My_ family wasn't."

They sat in silence for a long time. Finally, Raven said: "The worst part is when something great happens and I wanna tell my family about it… Then I remember I can't. I'll never tell them anything again."

"For me, the worst part is remembering all the things I've forgotten. Sometimes I can't remember my mom's perfume or my dad's favorite song. The more time goes by, the more I forget… What sort of daughter am I?"

"This is nice. Talking. Don't have many people I can talk to."

"You know I'm a telepath. Like Nate."

"But stronger."

"That's right," Rachel smiled. "That's why he sent you to me. He saw what I see but he can't help you."

"What-?"

"Nightmares, erratic behavior, paranoia. Even now, you think I'm gonna hurt you. Look at me. What you suffered – it was enough to break anyone. Your mind told you that your sister was with you, guiding and protecting you. She's gone now but her shadow remained. Left you just sane enough to blend in but too crazy to sleep. You don't _need_ her shadow. And I can prove it. Will you trust me enough to try?"

Inside her mind, Raven felt it closing in. She usually combated the darkness with prayers, but this time, Rachel encouraged her to let it come.

"You've been hiding it," said the telepath. " _Protecting_ it. Why? What're you afraid of? Haven't you already survived the _worst_ thing that could _ever_ happen to you?"

"Yes."

"Then it can't hurt you."

The shadow wrapped around her mind like an anaconda. When it squeezed, it was impaled on the spiked armor of her resolve. The beast bled and screamed and tried to squeeze her again, only to meet the same fate. Again and again it returned, weakened by every attack. Finally, her insanity tore itself to shreds.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** Wow, a lot of friendship dynamics going on in this chapter! For years, Gambit fans and Rogue fans have been complaining that ROMY has destroyed them as individuals. Co-dependency's no joke. This – along with their push-me/pull-me history – probably influenced this story a lot. I've also been struggling with ways to present him as 'King of Thieves' because Marvel _still_ hasn't. Hopefully it looks effortless and natural!

Nil was introduced in the _Gambit_ Vol. 5 and re-appeared in _All-New X-Factor_ #3. Cyclops and crew established the New Charles Xavier School on the ruins of the Weapon X facility in _Uncanny X-Men_ Vol. 2. Somehow, he convinced Emma to stay after their break-up and man, you wanna talk about a destructive, co-dependent relationship..? Nate Grey, Hope Summers and Hank McCoy shouldn't _technically_ be in this social circle. It isn't _strictly_ cannon, but I hope you can forgive for narrative's sake.

Finally, Raven carried her sister in my story 'Vicarious'. When her world ended, Nate (her universe's Phoenix) transferred Honor's mind into Raven's psyche. They were supposed to find a way to re-create their world, but when they failed, Honor "passed on".


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

 _Well, I did what I did  
And I didn't mean anything.  
I don't know how I got this far down with the ceiling.  
Well, I did what I did  
And I'd do it all over again.  
~The Ceiling by The Wild Feathers_

…

 _New Orleans_

Nil gasped for air and felt the rope loosen. Once more, he was plunged head-first into a tub, just deep enough to drown a man. Relief and panic mingled. His blood was building in his head and the only relief was being dropped, but of course that meant the water was coming again. This brief moment of respite would be obliterated by the unbearable pressure in his head and chest. One quick gulp and it could all be over. He wanted this to end, but he didn't want to die.

"What're you doin'? Cut him down!"

He collapsed on cement. Gasping for air, blinded by relief, he limped like a fish out of water at Gambit's feet.

Gambit knelt. "Right now, you've got two choices. One, you revert the virus. No one need ever know you planted it t' begin with. Or two, I throw you back t' Belle. And everyone will know why. Live a hero or die a coward. Seems easy enough t' me."

Barely alive, he nodded.

…

 _Canadian Wilderness_

"It is as we feared," said Colossus. "The _Purifiers_ were sent by the men who harmed Marie Bennett. And they did not come to _liberate_ her."

Cyclops looked to Magik. "Re-enforcements?"

"None. They sent everything they had at their disposal, which means-"

"They're defenseless." He paused. "You're _sure_?"

She nodded and Magneto said: "Then we must strike _now_."

Everyone agreed and when Rogue called SHEILD, no one protested because they knew the agency would arrive too late.

Magik transported them three-hundred miles north to a tundra wasteland. Even the Sun was wrapped in snow. Deep beneath the earth, frozen too long to recall the Sun's warmth, existed a labyrinth of twisted horrors. Rogue, Colossus and Magneto would appear to break in from the surface and draw the guards while Magik transported the others inside to flank them.

…

 _Salem Center_

Sam was confused. What had he done to deserve this kind of treatment? His friends discarded him; Psylocke had left long ago. Hank gave him some medicine and then left him alone in a cold and dark room. After an eternity of calling out to no one, Raven finally entered the room.

She took his hand. "How ya feelin'?"

"C-cold," he shivered. " _I'm cold_."

She removed her own socks and placed them on his bare feet. Then she warmed them in her hands until the ice in his veins melted. Straddling his legs, she rubbed his calves and thighs until they burned. Her compassion broke his heart.

"W-why's it s-so dark?"

Sorrow clouded her eyes. "It _isn't_ dark, Sam."

"Am Ah d-dyin'?"

She kissed his hand. "Dr. McCoy's moving you to a Shi'ar medlab on Mars. They have more advanced equipment."

"Ah d-don't wanna die on _Mars_."

"'The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want… Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for thou art with me. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…' You need to be brave, Sam. Your body's weak and can't afford to expel energy on fear."

At long last, warmth flooded through him. "Ah'm sorry. Ah was an idiot. Your life before me is none of my business. Can you ever _forgive_ me?"

"No, you were right. I used you to replace my husband and that was wrong of me. If you hadn't been brave enough to call me on it, I would've wasted the rest of our lives comparing you to him. I'm sorry. Maybe I should lie, but I don't want you going to the grave thinking you did me wrong. You're a _good_ and honorable man, but I _can't_ love you."

He brushed her tears away.

…

 _New Orleans_

Gambit, Belle, and a handful of her associates clustered around a shivering Nil, typing furiously on a number of laptops. Fence watched remotely and, at first, nothing changed. Then the virus froze. For a long time, he continued to work without progress.

"Ain't unusual," Fence said through Remy's Bluetooth. "It's hard to kill."

Remy's phone buzzed with a text message from Rachel saying Raven was safely back at school. He didn't answer immediately and it buzzed again. This time, Rogue had sent a set of coordinates with _'Hill on the way. Join if u can.'_

"You got this?" he asked Belle, who nodded briskly. "I owe ya."

She basked in his affection and missed Nil's smirk. Using his cyberpathy, he'd gotten the coordinates off Remy's text and routed through the PC to hack the building's system. Killing the power and sealing the exits would complicate whatever Gambit left to accomplish and Nil would have more time to deal with his _other_ captors. Given the choice, he would've preferred to face-off with the X-Man over Belle and her goons, but he had to seize his options as they appeared.

Remy stepped into another room before using his stolen teleporter to leap back to Manhattan. Hill was disgruntled to see him and immediately confiscated his device, but Fence had the blueprint to create another. She couldn't leave him at HQ _alone_ , so he was begrudgingly given a seat aboard the Quinjet.

Back in New Orleans, Fence finally caught Nil's background maneuverings.

"Stop him!" he shouted as the fire alarm wailed.

"Oh, _seriously_?!" Belle pulled out her gun, aimed for his head, but before she could fire, he threw the laptop at her and ran like a hare from her hounds.

Rounds fired around his head as he dove for the bath tub. When they paused to reload – so close he could _smell_ them – he bolted again. The large double doors were barred with chains. He dashed for the busted window – three stories high – and hesitated. Someone grabbed his collar, yanked him back, and shoved another barrel in his face. He flinched, waiting for a shot that never came.

The assassins were frozen in time. Bella Donna was literally mid-step.

"You are _not_ a man with many friends," said Nate, stepping from the shadows.

Nil knew this freak had to be a friend of Gambit. "Alright, you caught me. I'll be a good boy and-"

"Too late to _bargain_." He snatched Nil's shirt, flew out the window, and together, they ascended into the brilliant sky.

"If you're going to _threaten_ me, might I know why?"

" _Her jacket_." He continued to climb.

"Oh. I never intended to _keep_ it. Come, good fellow, let's-"

Nate dropped him and Nil scrambled to snatch hair, clothes, body – _anything_ to anchor himself. He secured a grip on the flyer's ankle.

"Have you _any_ idea what I've been through today?" he shouted. "If we could settle this like gentlemen, I'd be much obliged!"

"There's only one way to deal with men like you, and I would gladly do it. But I made a promise. So here's what we're going to do… You're going to take her to dinner. A _nice_ dinner. Then you'll tell her that your heart just isn't in it, and it wouldn't be fair to waste her time. You'll wish her well and you'll never again darken her door-step. Got it?"

"What is this girl to you?"

Nate's eyes flashed. " _Do you even know her name?"_

" _Raven!_ Her name's Raven!" He held on as Nate kicked his hands. "And she said her heart was broken. I don't know what your sweetheart told _you_ , but we _both_ got what we wanted."

Nate descended to the drawbridge over the Port of New Orleans and set Nil on the summit. Below, the cars looked like ants. As he floated away, he said: "She didn't want _you_. She settled."

"Wait! You can't leave me here!"

He smiled. "Watch me."

…

 _Canadian Wilderness_

"Be on your guard," Colossus warned as he, Magneto, and Rogue dropped inside. They'd spent a solid hour whacking away ice, snow, and permafrost before chewing on cement and steel. Despite the cold, Rogue was sweating, and used her scarf to dry her face.

"Ah thought we would've heard from Emma by now."

"Since the Phoenix Five, her powers are not so manageable," Colossus said quietly.

"Or maybe they've got telepathic disruptors," said Rogue.

Magneto impatiently cut them off. "Enough speculating. Come."

The rebel in her reared up and she smothered it. They were all working towards the same goals. _'Brisk'_ was just his way. As the hallway narrowed, she was forced to fall in line behind him, although his broad back obscured most of her view. His new uniform didn't flatter him. It left his sinewy arms and wide shoulders exposed. Those arms had seen tens of thousands of sunsets, and those shoulders had carried the weight of the world. Sometimes, they held the world _down_. When she and her friends battled his oppression, those arms never hesitated to strike back. Only once had they ever been gentle. She blushed and tried not to remember their night in Utopia. If he ever thought of her, he didn't let it show.

The hallway came to a crossroad and they decided to split up. They'd attempt to reach the others. Successful or not, they would reconvene in thirty minutes.

Rogue took the center route: an unmarked hall like all the others. Soon, she came to a fork and then another. She carefully counted her steps and kicked the walls to mark her turns. The place wasn't a maze, it was a labyrinth. It was only a matter of time before she found the others.

 _Peshew!_

Lights died and she was submersed in black. The unnoticed, steady hum of machines faded and she heard only her heart and breath. Closing her eyes, she focused on her surroundings. She could hear them now… they were nearby. In fact, _someone_ was coming straight for her. Heavy. Clumsy. Not one of hers.

She shot up to the ceiling and held herself there, intending to drop on whoever was coming. But this thing could see through the dark and knew she was there. Rogue heard the rushing of air and blocked her face just in time. Losing her hold, she collapsed onto the hairy beast. Teeth gnashed on her arms, hot drool stained her coat and sprayed in her face. Without Wonder Man's super strength, she would've been mincemeat, but she couldn't get a firm footing to overpower her opponent. They were locked in a bloody tango.

More footfalls preceded Scott's optical blast. He shot wide, missed, but now had a visual on his target and continued to fire. The attacker took a hit and ran.

Rogue bolted after him, Scott behind her. Someone was running in the hallway perpendicular to them and cut off the creature's escape route. She heard Bobby throw up an ice wall and the beast plowed head-first into it. It held. Trapped, it turned back to charge at Rogue, but she tackled it first. Scott leapt on them, too, and groping in the dark together, they managed to subdue it in a chokehold. Finally, it fell limp. She and Scott held still for a minute longer: arms interlocked and panting in each other's face.

"Ya gonna buy me dinner now?" she joked.

Instead of responding with his usual stoicism, he said: "Guess I'd better. That's the most action I've gotten all week."

They disentangled as Bobby joined them. "You guys okay?"

"Were you bit, Rogue?"

"No. Ah mean, yes, but didn't break the skin. What the hell _is_ that thing?"

The sound of metal crashing on metal echoed throughout the building. The thunder of a hundred feet stampeded towards them.

"We're too late!" said Scott. "Bobby, seal the exits. Rogue, with me!"

They dashed through the dark. She followed by sound, but what guided him? If he'd been counting steps, too, that would fail him since he'd walked part of the way and ran the rest. Finally, she saw light at the end of the hall. It opened into an enormous chamber lined with prison cells. Every door was opened.

The room was _full_ of prehistoric monsters that had fallen from the sky or crawled out of the deep. A handful of exhausted X-Men surrounded them.

"Back into the cells!" Scott shouted.

In response, the room erupted in screams, thunder, plasma blasts, and electric explosions. It was a dance floor from hell. Between strobing attacks, Rogue spotted a group of doctors running away and cut them off.

"Nothin' but _ice_ for five hundred miles, boys. Where you headed?"

" _Please_!" Cried the leader. "They have my fam-" His head vanished before her eyes. His headless body dropped to her feet.

 _The Decimator._

Around her, her friends waged war, but she could not move. She watched through someone else's eyes as the doctors ran back and forth, had one exit sealed by combat, another blocked by an X-Man. When they spoke, their heads burst like water balloons. Her friends could only stare in wonderment before another crisis demanded action. One last doctor slipped the noose.

"Don't let him get away!" Emma shouted.

Rogue leapt after him, running down another dark hall, guided only by his footsteps. Ten seconds later, someone pursued her. _Emma_ , she decided by the sound of heels.

Suddenly, he stopped, so Rogue did, too.

Emma lit a glow stick and rolled it towards him. He stood patiently by a door.

"End of the line, doc," said Emma. "Hands on your head and come slowly."

Rogue shook her head. "He wasn't _running_ from us, he was _leading_ us to something… Weren't you?"

He gave no response.

"We're _not_ going in till we get back-up," Emma said and repeated her earlier instructions.

Again, he didn't seem to hear.

The sound of a struggle came from behind the door. Glass shattered and a man cried out. Rogue acted impulsively, rushing into the room just in time to see a man's silhouette vanish into a teleporter. Telepathically, Emma summoned Magik, who followed his trail.

A man lay on the floor. His neck had been cut open with a broken vial, and although he'd lost too much blood, Rogue checked for a pulse anyway. Nothing.

"You!" Emma rounded on their lead. "Start talking."

"No!" said Rogue. "He can't."

She didn't know how much she could say without activating the Decimator, but she had _other_ ways of extracting information. Slowly, she removed her glove and touched his face. Memories assaulted in swirls and flashes.

 _X-gene carriers were wheeled in from across the globe. They were unwillingly, unwittingly exposed to all sorts of stresses – diseases, drugs, torture – in an attempt to jump-start their mutations. It was a slow, tedious process fueled by human traffickers and unguarded runaways, war refugees, and the homeless. Until a miracle happened. Three days ago, an alien vessel deployed extraterrestrial flora over Kentucky. The plants produced spores, which accelerated and exaggerated the effects of the X-gene. Nearly ninety percent of the patients died from exposure, but the remainder transformed into mindless beasts._

"Why do you _hate_ us?" she hissed.

His memories, still crawling in her mind, revealed a frail little boy and overworked woman. They'd been plucked from a refugee camp and promised a good life in America. Only when they crashed upon the shores of Canada did they begin to doubt. By then, it was too late to escape. They were gone now, the boy and his mother, and the doctor was told only his cooperation kept them alive.

"Help's on the way," she told him. "Stay-"

"Watch it!" Emma shouted.

The slither of rushing snakes filled the room and Emma dropped her light with a grunt. Rogue felt something stab her thigh and heard the doctor yelp in pain. Blinded once more, she reached down and ripped the chewing serpentine from her leg. Emma transformed into her diamond form and slammed against the onslaught. She screamed as she was lifted from her feet and carried down a vent shaft.

"Emma? _Emma!_ "

A hundred knives stabbed her back, from her shoulder down to her knee like a horrible zipper. Again, she grabbed and yanked it loose, but before she threw the nightmarish tentacle away, a single claw snapped through her wrist. Her inhuman howl echoed her diamond companion's, and Rogue hobbled pitifully into the shadows. The doctor had not been so lucky. Drowning in his own blood, he muttered something and his head exploded. The beast screeched and fought against the agony before slinking away to lick its wounds.

Rogue gripped her bleeding wrist with all her might. It _stung_. And it smelled like _chemicals_. Should she stumble through the dark and hope the beast didn't return? Or wait and hope the others came for her?

She decided to sit and listen. No Emma. No more combat. Only the nausea, coldness, and dizziness that accompanied poison.

Where was Scott? Where was SHIELD? Damn Magneto for not letting her call sooner! Damn that arrogant bucket head! She laughed at herself. That _couldn't_ be her last thought. No, she would think of Remy. And Raven. _'You_ _ **haven't**_ _got all the time in the world.'_ Damn that girl for being right…

Across the floor, her cell phone buzzed. The light and noise didn't attract the monster, so she crawled through a pool of her own blood to answer.

 _Remy_.

"Where are you? Ah'm hurt real bad and Emma-" The line clicked. "Gambit?" He hadn't heard a word. Hopeless, she gave into her tears. "Ah'm sorry. Ah love you."

Unbeknownst to her, he _had_ heard, and pinged her location from her phone. SHEILD had secured the first floor and was clearing the second. She was in the basement – fifth floor, but Gambit didn't wait for the agents.

"Take a medic!" Hill shouted after him.

His rushing footsteps alarmed the agents, who turned their guns just in time for him to turn them away.

"Medic! _Medic_!" called the dancing doctor, hands raised in surrender. "Where are you going? The stairs are _that_ way!"

Gambit lodged a charged card between the elevator doors and shielded the medic as they exploded. Then he heaved her over his shoulder, leapt to the cable, and slid down. They landed in darkness. He lit a charged card against the night to reveal a giant tentacle lined with black claws flying towards them. A plasma blast struck and the beast exploded into flying entrails.

"Cyclops?"

"Gambit!"

The medic rolled out several glow sticks. It was a nightmarish scene. Bloody handprints smeared the walls. Dislodged tentacles squirmed final twitches. A man's foot lay in a pool of crimson.

"Any word on Emma?"

"No. Where's Rogue?"

"No idea."

Taking the medic, he traveled ever deeper. They didn't go far. Lying face-down in the dark, like an unwanted doll or road-kill, was the woman he loved.

"I've got a pulse but it's weak" The medic tapped her cheek. "Rogue, can you hear us? We'll have to carry her. Take off your coat, we'll use that."

In a duster hammock, Rogue was cradled between them on the slow ascent upstairs. Remy should've taken the lead, and at first he had, but he kept looking back and missing a step. Now he supported her legs, eyes fixated on her alabaster face. He tried not to think about her crimson life dripping through his coat, staining the bottom of his boots. Finally, they reached the first floor.

"I'll get the stretcher. Stay with her."

He knelt and heard her mumble his name. "Right here."

"…love y'…"

"What's dat?"

She gasped and forced out: "Ah love you, you ass."

"Can't hear ya."

Her eyes fluttered open and she was panting with exhaustion. "Gonna… kill… you…"

"There's my girl. Stay with us. _Avengers_ might not mind you sleepin' on the clock, but you're on _X-Men_ time now."

"So… dead…"

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** Conceptually, this should've been the climax, but as none of the plot points are resolved, on we go! Monsters in this chapter were inspired by Metallica's _'All Nightmare Long'_ , Stephen King's _'The Mist'_ and mythical beasts, Minotaur and Medusa. Difficult to describe in the dark. I adore Sam Guthrie, but this is pretty much the end of the line for him. Those following the comics will know he hooked up with Izzy Kane on Mars and they now have a child together. Never one to stand in the way of a happy ending, he's off to find his.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

 _Shake your head, have some fun.  
Forget our mothers and past lovers,  
Forget everyone. Oh, I'm so lucky.  
You are my best friend.  
Are you wild like me?  
Raised by wolves and other beasts  
I tell you all the time, I'm not mad.  
You tell me all the time, I got plans.  
Me and you  
We could do better, I'm quite sure.  
~Bros by Wolf Alice_

…

 _Manhattan_

Rogue sat in the semi-darkness of her hospital room watching footage from her phone.

' _Unit XP was funded by the anti-mutant terrorist organization, Purifiers, led by Jason Stryker. Stryker's goal was to not only eliminate mutants, but also to eliminate their associates. To this end, he established Unit XP first in the States. Eventually, the Unit had so many victims and practitioners that it required a larger, more organized structure. A massive underground prison was built in the Arctic. There, it is estimated that anywhere from three-thousand to thirty-thousand carriers of the X-gene were subjected to inhumane medical experiments._

' _Many of the medical staff and guards have come forward for clemency, including head-of-staff, Dr. Ishii, who confessed to executing Stryker. They claim that Stryker held their families hostage and threatened to harm them unless they complied. So far, no charges have been filed, though the Attorney General says investigations remain on-going.'_

She closed the news and logged onto her work website. There, she accessed depositions filed by the medical staff. Vivisections, infectious diseases, sleep deprivation, starvation, frost-bite – all had been administered. There were no documents from the victims because there were _no_ victims left to speak.

"You're _supposed_ t' be _restin'_ ," Remy said, taking the device away. His right hand was wrapped in thick white bandages to conceal cuts from the elevator cable.

"This happened on _my_ watch."

"You lost a kidney. Heart and liver went int' distress. How much _harder_ you wanna push?"

"Ah'm _layin' down_! Any _more_ sedate and Ah'll go into a _coma_!"

He sat in the stiff chair beside her bed. "Wanna hear about Raven?"

"Why not?"

"She's back at Grey. Agreed t' Storm's terms, so once she's got her certificate, she's got a job. Unless she goes t' the home instead."

"The _home_..?"

"She's been workin' at the orphanage."

"Speaking of _sad_ , how's Guthrie?"

"Alive, I reckon. She doesn't say and I don't ask."

She nodded and checked a watch she wasn't wearing. "What was that? Two minutes? We gonna make small talk all day or you gonna tell me what happened to Marie Bennett?"

"Storm hasn't said," he shrugged.

"Ah'm supposed to believe you're _stupid_ now?"

"Everyone else does." He smiled and reached for his inside pocket. "Got you somethin'."

"God, not _another_ cross-word puzzle-" She was silenced by a pair of plane tickets. "Valle Soleada?"

"We need a vacation," he said quietly. "I'll take y' anywhere you wanna go, but come with me. I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see you layin' in a pool of blood. Feel like we're gonna die if we don't get out."

Valle Soleada. The beach-front town had been _their_ place. For one brief summer, they'd shared a home like any ordinary couple, and in her heart, that was where she longed to return. It wasn't just a vacation. He was asking for so much more. She thought of all the reasons to decline: Raven, her team, the investigation of Unit XP. None of it mattered. Like that twenty-year-old he'd first met, she was as eager as ever to ride off into the sunset with him.

…

 _Upper East Side  
Manhattan_

"Oh my god!" Darce stood slack-jawed. "You _live_ here?"

Rogue smiled smugly. Finally, _someone_ appreciated her penthouse! "Rarely. Since Gambit's takin' me to California, figure there's no sense in lettin' it sit empty. Ah appreciate y'all house-sittin' for me."

Fence ran to the view overlooking the city. "Babe! I can see our _building_ from here!"

"Ah don't have much food, but y'all are welcome to help yourselves. And Ah don't have cable, but Ah do have wifi."

Fence smiled. " _I'll_ fix that!"

"Why would Ah wanna pay for cable when Ah'm never – oh, you weren't gonna pay… Thank you, but no."

"Don't worry, m'am," said Darce. "I'll make sure _nothing_ illegal happens while you're gone."

"Babe!" Fence called again. "Come check out the bathroom. This is _way_ better than the HoJo!"

She tossed them the keys. "Call me if y'all need anything!"

Heading for the airport, she felt lighter than she had in ages. She was as giddy as a teenager gearing up for prom. ' _It's just a vacation,'_ she scolded herself, ' _We've had loads of them'_. But this was different. The past year had been one crisis after another and transitioning from an X-Man to an Avenger hadn't been easy. In fact, her team had been downright hostile at the beginning. Things were better now, but they'd never replace her X-family. And _no one_ compared to Remy. She'd have to put everything on the table (and so would he) in order to start over with a clean slate. It wouldn't be pleasant, but she was _determined_ to get it right this time.

…

 _Pier i Café  
Manhattan_

"Sorry, but I can't make it," said Rachel.

"Oh." Raven's heart sank. They'd made lunch plans and she was already at the restaurant. She clutched her phone, terrified at the prospect of eating in the city alone. "Why not?"

"Nate's in town and needs my help."

"With what? Maybe I can help, too."

"With pranking you!" Rachel snuck up behind her and covered her eyes.

Raven pulled her hands away to see Nate holding her mother's green jacket. She gasped: "You found it! Oh, Nate, thank you! Where was it?"

" _He_ had it. That vile man had a grudge against Gambit and I believe _you_ were caught in his game." He paused. "You're _lucky_ you didn't lose _more_ than your coat."

"Stop being so melodramatic," said Rachel. "I'm starving."

They settled at a table and Raven immediately updated them on her robotics project. It was _exactly_ why Rachel insisted they leave the school for lunch. Since Raven started visiting the orphanage, she'd sometimes bring other teachers from the Grey, and together, they'd run a training course with the children. One little boy, Samuel, was too frail to participate. She'd designed a light-weight protective suit to protect him during the games. It wasn't complete yet, but she practically _lived_ in the lab now.

"When it's finished, he'll be able to _feel_ what the suit touches."

Rachel sat back. "That's _incredible_. You should patent it."

She shrugged.

"If you don't," Nate said, "someone else will. They'll profit off your creation."

"As long as it's helping people, I don't care."

"What if they don't wanna help others? They'll have the power to withhold it, too. Or sell it only to militaries. Then you'll have _that_ on your conscious."

" _Nate!_ " snapped Rachel. Taking a calming breath, she told Raven: "I'll put you in touch with my tech buddy in Cambridge. He'll know how to help."

Raven didn't think her creation was special. It was basically a full-body version of the prosthetics she'd created for Issa, her brother who'd lost an arm, and Honor, her sister who'd lost a leg. But she agreed to call Rachel's friend anyway. _Tomorrow_. Today she had too much to do.

Back at Grey, she called Remy on the video phone. Rogue was there, too, of course: looking too pale for a beach-body.

" _Someone_ wanted t' learn t' _surf_ ," Remy said. "I had t' drag her back in like a drowned rat."

"Salt water's good for my stitches."

"But swimming's a demanding sport," said Raven. "You're supposed to be _resting_ your _heart_."

"Ain't much chance of _that_!" she smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Speaking of – I have a _date_ tonight! How do I look?" She backed away to reveal her outfit. "Trendy, yeah? Rachel helped me pick it out. I haven't been on a date in _ages_."

"Who is it?" asked Rogue.

"No one you know."

"Do _I_ know him?" Remy asked.

She flushed. "Stop picking on me! _I_ can ask annoying questions too. Remy, have you popped the question yet? Why not? Where's the ring?"

"Typical woman t' leap from 'love' to 'matrimony'."

"Well, it's what _I_ want," Raven said. "But you guys don't."

"How do _you_ know?" asked Rogue, offended.

She shrugged. "Don't live as long as I have without developing a sense of people. Some are the marrying sort and some aren't. I just don't think you guys _need_ it like I do."

"Be sure t' tell your date all this," he said.

She smiled. "Yeah, _no_. Be safe out there. I love you guys."

"Love you, too," Remy said.

Rogue turned to him after he'd hung up. "Y'all say 'I love you'?"

"She's very expressive. Says it to everyone. She'll probably be sayin' it t' her date before the night's over. Speakin' of…" He accessed Grey's front gate security camera from his phone. Eventually, a taxi pulled up and carried her away. "Fence can get its destination."

"That man's on his _honeymoon_!" she protested.

But he obliged all the same. Raven's cab was going to a restaurant called 'Angelo's', and he connected Remy to their security camera. Eventually, she entered with a tall, dark man.

" _Nil_." Remy hissed. "I _knew_ it!"

"Who?"

He explained that Nil had been one of the upstarts reaching for leadership of the Guild. Not only had he tried to kill Gambit, but he'd also brainwashed Danger into trying to kill him, too. More recently, he seduced Raven and launched a cyber-attack against the Guild.

Rogue processed all this and said: "Let her be."

His eye brows shot up.

"Our parents tried to micromanage every decision we ever made, and see what happened? You don't want that kind of relationship with her. She's a twenty-five year-old invincible _widow_ , not some nineteen-year-old _innocent_."

"He's only with _her_ t' get t' _me_. And you want me to _let_ him?"

"Ah'm _tellin'_ you to let her make her own mistakes. Otherwise, she's gonna cut you out of her life entirely."

He shook his head. "Sorry, chere, but _everythin'_ in me's tellin' me t'-!… I need some air."

"Remy-"

"Don't wait up."

…

 _Angelo's  
Manhattan_

"No sale."

Nil raised a brow inquisitively. "Pardon?"

"This whole thing _reeks_ of seduction," Raven said, looking around at the cozy booths filled with close couples. "And I'm not buyin'."

He smiled. "One good turn deserves another, my dear. I was instructed to treat you to a lovely evening and then tell you that my heart isn't in pursuing you. Any _sexual_ interaction might require _emotional_ intimacy, which I have _no_ intention of, and I _believe_ he wanted me to appear _contrite_."

"Gambit?"

"Do you have a brother?"

She smiled. "Nate… Then I release you. There's no need to waste a hundred dollars on a date you don't want."

"This dinner will cost _significantly_ more than that… And I didn't say I don't want to be here."

"There won't be a New Orleans encore."

He snickered. "I hope not. Getting you drunk, buying you a room, and getting _your_ jollies off, only to be sent away, was not a _pleasant_ experience."

She lowered her voice. "You mean we _didn't_ -?"

"You were _asleep_. I know you good Christian girls grow up thinking all men are mindless hounds and all women are irresistible, but I'm no beast, my dear. And you were little more than a doll. I could _buy_ one if that was my fetish. I could buy _thousands_ and none of _them_ would have a brother. Why, if I had half a brain, I'd run." He leaned towards her. "But since the wine's already open, I say we forget about brothers and brains and indulge our baser instincts."

She should've thrown her water in his face and stormed out. That's what a _proper_ lady would do if a man so blatantly propositioned her. But he had a way of making her do all sorts of unscrupulous things. She went home with him and, like countless women before, spent half the night.

…

 _Valle Soleada_

Secretly, Rogue was glad he'd left. She hadn't had a moment alone since they'd boarded the flight, and now she finally had a chance to check in with Hill. Turns out, Dr. Ishii had not been subjected to the Decimator and could not give consistent details about his supposed family allegedly being held hostage. SHEILD now believed that _he_ was in fact the mastermind behind the whole project – not Stryker. They were combing through evidence, dragging out subpoenas, and cobbling together a case to present to a grand jury.

' _Good,'_ she thought. _'Maybe Marie Bennett will see justice after all.'_

Once she'd done what she wanted, she became irritated that he hadn't returned. Who did he think she was? Did he expect her to wait at home like a ninny? Before charging the bars, she stormed the beach, and found him sitting out of reach of the surf.

"Ah don't even know _why_ you're mad!"

"I ain't angry."

She huffed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Then _what_?"

"She's gonna get hurt. Because of _me_."

She sat beside him and let the wind whip her hair. "Did ya ever think that maybe it'd happen even _without_ you? If not _him_ , some _other_ creep. She's on the rebound. Trust me, it won't last…"

His eyes searched her. She felt completely disarmed by his silent gaze. Heart pounding in her ears, the truth ripped out like a stubborn root.

"Do you wanna talk about Magnus?" she asked.

"Do you?"

"Not really, but if you need to-"

"I don't," he snapped. After a moment's silence, he said more kindly, "You're here now. That's enough."

She nestled into his shoulder. "Ah've really enjoyed bein' here with you. Got me thinkin'… When Ah go back home, Ah'm really gonna miss you. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Never thought Ah'd be askin' a man this, but… would you live with me?"

"That's romantic!"

"Come on, Remy, Ah'm goin' out on a limb here."

"I realize that," he took her hand. "Of course I _want_ to, but I don't wanna disappoint you… It's _massively_ worse t' say 'I wanna move out' instead of 'I wanna go home'. Last time, I walked in and all your stuff was gone and y' never even said-"

"My powers were outta control! Ah couldn't risk-"

"But we never even _talked_ about it."

"Ah didn't wanna make a scene, Remy. It was somethin' Ah _had_ to do and you couldn't _change_ what needed to happen."

"See, you _still_ don't get it. It ain't about _you_ and _me_ , it's about _us_." He paused. "I ain't sayin' no. Let me think on it."

"Okay."

He showered her face with kisses, washing away her look of defeat. "Doesn't mean I don't _love_ you, Anna."

She caught his mouth with hers and dared him to prove it. Sometimes she thought she was nuts to want this man, but there was nothing in her life that she'd ever wanted more. When they came together, she knew he wanted it, too. Fear and doubt complicated his decision, but those feelings weren't stronger than the stars that had been moved to put them together. It didn't really matter where he was. He always belonged to her.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** Unit XP is based on Unit 731: the Japanese concentration camp set in China during WWII. (Fun fact: 'XP' is the ancient inscription of 'Christ'. It was eventually reduced to just 'X', which is where 'Xmas' comes from.) The man largely responsible, Dr. Shiro Ishii, never even stood trial. Japan only de-classified his documents last year, and because many of the guards/doctors are nearing the end of their lives, they're finally speaking about the crimes they committed. Harbin, China has a museum built on the old site.

Valle Soleada is the fictional beach town where Remy and Anna lived in _X-Treme X-Men_ Vol. 1. After their powers returned, they lived (platonically) together at the school until Mystique tried to seduce Gambit in the 'Bizarre Love Triangle' storyline. She failed, but succeeded in breaking them up. Raven engineered limbs for her siblings in my fic 'Raven Legacy: Coming Home'. I had her pegged as the next Forge since she was a little girl in my 'Honor' series, but life's taken her on a number of detours. Hopefully she'll stop fighting me and follow her destiny!

And finally, Samuel is inspired by several sick children I've encountered, including Sam Berns. He did a documentary for HBO and a TedTalks. If you look them up, keep the Kleenex handy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

 _It's just my soul responding to the heavy heart I'm holding.  
And it's just my soul responding to the love you took from me.  
~Just My Soul Responding by Amber Run_

 _…_

 _Four months later  
Sonoran Desert, Arizona_

Dust from the intense battle was still settling when back-up arrived. Rogue ran out to meet them, explained that the situation was under control, but the containment wasn't permanent. More re-enforcements poured in. SWORD erected a container and sent in their bravest and brightest. Only then could she surrender to the fatigue and starvation. Thankfully, her back-up had planned for this.

"Your team's been out here ten days," an agent commended. "Take a load off."

"With _three days_ provisions," she crawled into a helicopter and chugged a bottle of water. Tearing into beef jerky, she checked her messages.

 _'_ _We still on for dinner?'_ Remy had texted nearly two weeks ago. Then: _'_ _Hill says you're out. Call when you land.'_ Lastly: _'_ _I miss you. Can't sleep alone. Still got that extra toothbrush holder?'_

Her heart skipped a beat. Was he serious about moving in? Truthfully, going home to him and sleeping in his arms sounded like heaven. She fired off a text and then called Raven. Prior to this mission, she and Raven had been working together to give the orphanage a big day at Grey. Rogue arranged for the press to cover it – another pro-mutant story never hurt public perception – and hoped Raven could handle them on her own.

"It was great!" Raven panted. "I emailed you some videos and the story published yesterday. They even talked about Samuel's suit!"

"Where are you?"

"Rachel and I are at the park. Everyone keeps stopping me, thinking I'm you! Isn't that funny?"

"Should Ah call you back?"

"Don't be silly. How was the mission? Coming home soon?"

"Wrappin' it up now. Remy and Ah have plans tonight but Ah'd like to see you tomorrow." She reigned in her temper. "So we can discuss that college offer."

She could practically hear the steam coming from Raven's ears. "I _told_ you it's not possible. I only applied because Rachel pushed me."

"M.I.T.'s one of the best schools in the world."

"I'm not _that_ stupid!"

" _Obviously_ , or they wouldn't be interested! Ah know you've got friends and a job, but those things will _still_ be here when you graduate. And _imagine_ everything you could accomplish!"

"If you'd _seen_ the way Samuel lit up-" Her voice broke and she stopped running. She sniffed and continued: " _This_ is where I belong, Rogue. I'm sorry it's not my dream to be rich and famous and powerful like _you_ , but _this_ is my dream."

Rogue sighed and rubbed her face. "Ah _don't_ want you to be like me. Ah _want_ you to be the best you can. Anyone can _teach_ those kids, but if you push yourself outside your comfort zone, you'll _inspire_ them to do the same. You could go to school, make connections, and help _all_ the Samuels out there. Not just one."

"You know, _most_ people would be really proud of my work. What's it take to make you happy? You're _always_ running towards something better. My work, my sacrifices, my feelings – _worthless_ to you! I _hope_ you tell yourself that if I could _just_ do a _little_ more, you'd be proud of me. But _I_ know that'll never happen. And one day you'll be _shocked_ to realize we've had our _last_ conversation and you **never** told me you loved me or you were proud of _anything_ I **ever** did!"

Her patience snapped. If she wanted to fight dirty, two could play that game. "You _know_ it's what your momma would want!" She slammed her phone down and punished the defenseless jerky.

Before she finished the bag, the secondary containment failed. A third wasn't ready to deploy, so Rogue and her team rushed back inside and attempted to seal the Terrigen Mist. They failed. Refusing to give up, Rogue stayed till the bitter end with Raven's words echoing mercilessly in her mind.

…

She knew what it felt like to wake from a coma. Never a pleasant experience. The worst part was finally peeling back her eye-lids to find her hospital room vacant. A few wilted flowers lined her room, but Gambit's jacket wasn't draped across a chair. Raven wasn't sulking in the corner. Hell, she would've even been glad to see Rogers. She tried and failed to move her limbs. She continued flexing and her increased heart rate alerted the doctor.

"Welcome back to the land of the living! How're you feeling?"

She tried to speak but had no voice.

"Been out for quite some time," said the doctor. "Blink once for no and twice for yes. Are you in any pain?"

 _No_.

"Feel like you're breathing okay?"

 _Yes_.

"Can you move at all?"

She was still working on that.

"We'll keep an eye on your vitals and I'll check back in an hour, alright?"

" _Wait!_ " She croaked. "…team…"

"Your team? Yes, they're alive. _You_ were the most severe case, although your body was already compromised, so that shouldn't come as a shock. We'll talk more when you're feeling better."

"…Gam…bit…"

"Gambit? Sorry, I don't know how to reach him."

She tried to tell him to use her cell phone, but the words wouldn't come and this time he insisted she rest. To hell with that! She worked to awaken the muscles in her toes, legs, fingers, and arms. Nurses came and went but that lying doctor never re-appeared. Exhaustion consumed her and when she awoke again, Rogers was there.

Somewhat lacking bedside manners, he explained that she'd been exposed. Mutants reacted badly to exposure and she'd suffered extremely. Worst case so far, in fact. But since she'd survived, she could expect her powers to be exaggerated. Infertility was another side-effect. She was off-duty until they could determine whether or not she was fit enough for duty. Her body might be stronger, but if her _heart_ wasn't, she remained a liability.

Tears slid over her temples and he quickly explained that her pay would continue and they'd find another role for her if active duty wasn't an option. _Stupid man_. Shoving her feelings aside, she shook her head and asked for Gambit.

"I… haven't seen him. Is there someone I could call? Maybe they'd know where he is."

"Raven," she squeaked.

His weathered brow crinkled in confusion. "Mystique?"

"No. _Raven_." Her voice was audible now. "My _daughter_. Other world."

He chuckled. " _X-Men_. How did I miss _that_?"

"You… didn't…"

His face mirrored her bewilderment. "Rogue, you've been in a coma for almost a month. You're confused. I'll track down Gambit and bring him when I come tomorrow. Can I bring you anything else?"

But the next day came and Rogers couldn't find Gambit. Her strength gradually returned, and as it did, she learned how much the world had changed in thirty days. The Terrigen Mist had devastated the already sparse mutant population. Apparently, this was the proverbial back-breaking straw for Scott, who spiraled from madness into death. To protect her students, Storm moved Grey School to Limbo and opened it as a haven for mutants. Nation X had scattered to the wind, and although the Avengers carried on business as usual, no one had bothered to track down her friends. And so far _no one_ had the gull to tell her the obvious truth – her team was _finished_. If mutants were an evolutionary dead-end, why should anyone _care_ about them?

…

 _Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn_

'Emma Frost. Private Investigator.'

"From the moment I walked into her office," Rogue said in her best film-noir narration, "I knew this dame was gonna be trouble. She was a tall, cool glass of somethin' I didn't need. But _damn_ was I thirsty."

"Rogue, darling!" Sauntering across her pristine office, Emma approached with outstretched arms. She looked great. And as her white leather jacket embraced Rogue's green cotton coat, she _felt_ great, too. An apocalypse, dead lover, and career change were not excuses to _not_ look fabulous.

"So you're a detective now?"

"Pays the bills. So many people are missing since the M-Pox. I assume that's why you're here? Have a seat."

"Ah'm sorry about Scott," she sat in the leather chair across Emma's wide desk.

"I charge $600 an hour. Is this _really_ how you want to spend it?"

"He was a good man and Ah'm sorry the world broke him… People forgot all the _good_ he did."

"Please stop. _Everyone_ tells me this. I'm not his widow. We weren't even _together_ in the end." She grabbed her notebook and pen. "How can I help _you_?"

She took a deep breath. "Do you remember Raven?"

Emma's expression was unreadable and Rogue looked ready to bolt. Slowly, she answered: "Do you mean _Mystique_ or your timid look-alike?"

"Oh, thank heavens!" She reached across the desk and held Emma's hands. "Everyone thinks Ah'm _crazy_! She's _gone_ , all her _stuff_ is gone! When Ah kept searchin', they locked me up for three days until Ah said Ah made it up! Ah was beginnin' to think maybe she _was_ my daughter and the M-Pox erased her existence. But look!" She revealed a white business card with the inscription: _'_ _Bet you can't kill this! – Raven'_

"What is this?" Emma asked.

"It was attached to some flowers at the hospital."

"Did you show it to anyone?"

"They think it's from Mystique."

"Tell me everything."

She started with their last conversation – the argument about education, which Raven ended with 'one day you'll realize we've had our last conversation'. The part about Rogue not saying she was proud of Raven seemed irrelevant so she left it out. The next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital. The staff said Gambit had visited, but not recently, and no one had seen Raven at all. When Rogue finally got her cell phone back, Raven's number and all their interactions had vanished. It was strange, but not as alarming as Gambit's disappearance. He _always_ returned her messages.

"He must've remembered her, too. Ah think he went after her on his own."

"Let's not draw any conclusions yet. Who else did you call?"

Since SHIELD was vehemently against Raven's possible existence, Rogue had turned to some of Gambit's friends. Fence _should've_ been able to trace whoever had tampered with her phone, but when she turned up uninvited, Darce shouted about Rogue's disgusting sickness until she fled. Then she battled her way to Grey School, where Rachel laughed at her. _'_ _An invincible bestie? Did_ _ **you**_ _dream that up or did_ _ **I**_ _?'_ But when she pressed, Rachel snapped, _'_ _Look, I know you're dealing with a lot, but so is everybody else. There_ _ **is**_ _no Raven._ _ **Never**_ _was. Sorry but I can't help you right now. I've got_ _ **real**_ _people to save!'_

"They were close?" asked Emma.

"They did _everything_ together. People called them 'Ray-Ray' because they were _always_ together. Rachel's the one who convinced her to apply to M.I.T. How could she forget? She's one of the world's _strongest_ telepaths."

Emma laughed bitterly. "And she's been forced to hurt people against her will before."

"Ah know she was a _hound_ but… You don't think..?"

"As I said, let's not jump to conclusions yet. Any other friends?"

"Remy. He was her _protector_ …"

"And now _he's_ missing."

"So?"

"Rogue, you were in a coma. No one knew if you'd make it. If Sinister or someone else promised to save you, do you _honestly_ think there's _anything_ he wouldn't do? Do you think there's anything he wouldn't _sacrifice_?"

Her mouth twisted on bitter denial and furious dread.

"Any other contacts?"

Rogue went down the list: Nate, who was on some far-flung mission to save Hope; Sam, who'd been on Mars; and a 'friend' called Nil that Rogue knew nothing about. All had been unreachable.

"You're my last hope, Emma. Ah've looked everywhere."

She set down her notepad and laced her fingers. "I have a few ideas, but as I said before – we're not going to jump to any conclusions. We'll track every lead until she turns up."

"Thank you," she sighed.

"Don't thank me yet." Emma retrieved a file from a locked cabinet and handed it to Rogue. It was a plain manila folder with _'_ _H. Gordon – AU – Closed'_ written across the front. "Mr. Gordon was one of my first clients: a survivor of Raven's world tracking down others. Obviously, she was the only survivor from ground zero. Everyone else was off-planet and they were very interested in her."

Her stomach plummeted. "You _helped_ him?"

"I gave them a way to contact each other, yes. When I spoke to Raven, she seemed intent on returning. I would _never_ endanger her. Please trust that I took _every_ precaution to verify his story before I accepted the case."

"But… But that doesn't explain why no one else remembers."

"Do you think Gambit would've gone _with_ her?"

"No." She shook her head firmly. "We were talkin' about movin' in together. He said he'd never leave me…"

Again, her face was unreadable. "I'll get started today."

"How can Ah help?"

"Go home and rest, dear. You look like hell."

"Ah can't. Ah'm pretty sure SHEILD has my place bugged. One more word about Raven and they'll throw me in the insane-and-deadly cell."

"All the more reason to carry about your routine."

Emma promised to call the following afternoon. They made quick good-byes and Rogue walked the long route home, hoping to leave her racing thoughts behind.

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** Marvel never bothered to explain why Rogue responded particularly poorly to the Terrigen Mist. If her health was already compromised, I thought it would clear up a lot. Instead of just, you know, making her a plot point. I'm not sure where Emma ended up after the eight month gap. If anyone knows, please share. But I didn't think that her moonlighting as a P.I. was too far-fetched. Gambit also seemed to vanish. He's not seen with Rogue at the hospital _or_ in Limbo with Storm. So wth was he doing? _Hmm…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

 _I believe it was a sin to do you in the way I did you in.  
I couldn't stop it coming from afar.  
I lost the keys to the getaway car.  
And every now and then I'm in this place  
It's hell living when I need your face.  
Don't hide, don't hide, don't hide from me.  
~It was a Sin by the Revivalists_

…

 _Boils spread up Rogue's misshapen arm to her shoulder. Trying to calm her racing, weakened heart, she submitted to the machine, which coolly stated 'critical level. Recommend immediate anti-Terrigen solution'. A vial appeared and she grabbed it. Meanwhile, the boils had reached her chest and she felt her muscles burn and contract. Calm. She had to stay calm. She raised the vial to her lips, tipped it back – empty?! 'Critical level critical level critical level' the machine screamed. She punched it desperately, but too late. Her throat seized up and she couldn't breathe. Gasping, gasping – the world faded away._

Her phone woke her up.

Sweet, cool air filled her greedy lungs. A moment later, she answered the phone without screening the number. Nothing. The line popped and hummed. She was about to hang up when she realized the sounds were actually Morse code.

 _O-U-T-S-I-D-E_

Her arm was indeed scared with horrible boils, and she watched intently to make sure it wasn't spreading. Then she pulled on her green coat and stepped outside into the pouring rain. It was nearly four am, but that counted for little in Manhattan. She leapt off her terrace and landed outside the front door. Glancing around, she saw someone sitting at a nearby bus-stop. They suddenly stood and left. She followed.

Female, five feet tall, early forties. She wore a cheap blue rain coat and her shabby tennis shoes were soaked. From her raised shoulders and clenched hands, Rogue knew she wasn't just fighting the rain. She was anxious.

At an all-night diner, she turned in, hung up her coat, and sat at the bar. Again, Rogue followed, and they both ordered a coffee.

Darce couldn't meet her eyes. "Sorry about earlier," she said quietly into her coffee.

"Are we bein' followed?" The place was empty except for the waitress.

"Turn off your phone. Boss has eyes everywhere."

"Ah'm a _friend_ ," she hissed, keeping her voice low enough that the waitress wouldn't overhear.

"Maybe I'm _not_. Maybe he _really_ doesn't want you to know what he's up to, and talking to you could cost me a _whole_ lot more than my _job_."

"Ah'm listening."

"He's after Ishii."

"The doctor from Unit XP?"

Darce finally lifted her burning hazel eyes. "Some people spent a _lot_ of resources building a case against him that went _nowhere_. He was given a job, a new identity, and all the protection of the people who _should've_ locked him away!"

"That's awful… but why does Gambit care?"

She poured herself another coffee, waved the waitress away, and said: "Why wouldn't he? That man's got a heart for damsels in distress and there's more than he can rescue… Who decided to detonate the T-Bomb? Did they _know_ how unstable it was? Did they know how _devastating_ it would be for mutants? Maybe that's _exactly_ what they wanted." She lowered her voice below a whisper. "Maybe the government was funding the Unit all along."

"Feel like Ah've walked into an episode of the X-Files…"

"You think the government's only bad in crazy conspiracy theories? No _wonder_ he cut you out."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. _Someone's_ got to guard the guards and if it's true… I hope he blows them all to _Kingdom Come_."

"Do you know if he's getting my messages?"

"Everything's relayed through Fence. Don't try to trace it."

But at least he could hear her; that was a comfort. "Do you know if Raven's with him?"

"Who?"

Rogue pretended it didn't matter and asked: "Why are you telling me this? Ah don't know enough to help _or_ stop him."

"Because if it was Joh- I mean, if it was _Fence_ , I'd wanna know. And because I feel _really_ bad about screaming at you earlier. But we've got a front to maintain. Can't have Avengers suddenly showing up… I need to get home before he wakes up. Don't call me."

"Wait. Before you go, do you know where Nil is?"

Darce's face spoke of mistrust.

"Ah _swear_ Ah'm not tryin' to trace Remy's calls. He was seein' a friend of mine and ever since – everything happened – Ah haven't heard from her."

She bit her lip. "I'll look. Keep an eye on your mail. It's the one thing he _can't_ hack."

Alone in the diner, Rogue considered ordering breakfast and getting an early start. Was Raven hungry? Undoubtedly, she was _alive_ somewhere, but was she happy? Had she re-set everyone's memories and gone home? According to Remy (because Raven never told _her_ anything), her world had been on hostile terms with the Shi'ar, which made living off-planet significantly more difficult. Was living like a refugee _preferable_ to her life here?

Suddenly, Rogue wasn't hungry anymore. The memory of their last conversation made her sick. Of course she loved Raven – she said it every day. Not with words but with actions. And of course she was _proud_ – why else would she push so hard? Raven's problem was that she had no ambition. She'd do anything for a compliment. Rogue wanted her to develop self-confidence, and that wouldn't happen without a little tough love. Remy wanted to protect her from Nil and Sam and the Guild… Ridiculous! The girl could protect herself, she just didn't know it yet.

Where was he now? Remy had gone dark to go deep undercover… Possibly to murder a mad-scientist funded and protected by the most powerful government in the world. But why _now_? It was too much to lose them both. Too much had been left unsaid and undone. Why didn't he _call_?

Not prone to quiet contemplation, she spent the day playing guinea pig for SHIELD. Rogers was elated. He couldn't put her back in the field without a clean bill of health, and she wouldn't _get_ that bill until she submitted to the stress tests. So she huffed into tubes, ran on treadmills, and lay in machines that photographed her organs. She'd hoped the activity would chase off the inescapable loneliness caused by their absence. It didn't.

The doctor was pleased to announce that the mist currently _scarring_ her and rendering her _sterile_ had simultaneously made her invincible. She might never starve or grow old. As she peered into her future, she saw Wolverine's past. Would she, like him, conquer death but remain powerless to protect those most dear?

…

Emma called shortly before five.

"Greetings, dear. Can you talk?"

Rogue dug out a worn take-out menu from her junk drawer. "Why don't you come over? Ah'll buy ya dinner."

"I'm on my way to Cambridge. Turns out, your girl _declined_ Mr. Gordon's request. I've tracked her as far as Massachusetts, and based on our conversations, I believe she was headed to M.I.T. I'll call back in forty-eight hours unless I find something sooner."

"Ah'll meet you there."

"Rogue, that would be counterproductive. You can hardly be available for her to reach while sneaking around with me. Stay put."

"Ah got some news on Gambit and Ah don't think she's with him."

"I agree. He was last seen two days after you entered intensive care, and she rented a car ten days later. I spoke with Rachel, too. Her memory's been tampered with, but she isn't possessed. _Magic_ , most likely. For all her _supposed_ telepathic strength, she's a real pussy-cat with spells."

"Strange would know-"

"I've already left a message for him. You're paying for the best, darling, and you're getting it. Go _Avenging_ and leave this to me."

She hung up feeling paranoid. If Raven _hadn't_ left of her own free will, then someone had _taken_ her. And if they could subdue _her_ , no one was safe. Who would know about her telepathic best friend? About her two biggest protectors being down and out? Who would _want_ to hurt her?

 _Nil._

She snatched her coat and marched straight to Darce. When the mousy woman tried to slam the door in her face, Rogue knocked it off the hinges.

"Ah _know_ he's got her. _Where_ is he?"

Darce handed her a crumpled invoice for a hotel in Rome which revealed 'Mr. Nicholas Fitzroy' was booked through the end of the week. Breaking the sound barrier, she arrived in time for dinner. He was eating at the hotel restaurant with some artificially enhanced tart in a melted dress.

Rogue smashed his face on the table. "What did you do to Raven?!" Without waiting for an answer, she pressed her bare palm into his face, determined to drain him dry.

 _Summer green eyes. Ironic he noticed them first because he rarely bothered to look a woman in the eye. But her steady, disarming stare held fast through insults and fucks. Most women gladly oozed under him. Not Raven. With her legs over his shoulders and her bottom in his hands, she eerily held his gaze. No great beauty, she nonetheless offered a wealth of information, so he initially considered her a job. She turned out to be a great lay. He wanted to_ _ **consume**_ _her. Every time he thought he had her, she rose to the challenge. Passion, desire, lust – he'd been without them for too long. Then she turned into something_ _ **more**_ _. This strange, sad creature with those bright, pure eyes resurrected his soul. Ensnared, he wept at the altar between her breasts, and she, not realizing her own power, offered compassion under her searing and omniscient gaze._

 _He fled. He was fleeing still. His heart found something too big to overcome, so he left her for the less terrifying cathedrals of Rome. Here, his nights were filled with demons in angelic guise, but sin offered such fleeting pleasures compared to the overflowing glory of love's divine._

Nil shoved her away. Re-gaining her senses, Rogue saw his face twisted in rage. Whatever misery he wanted to inflict could not exceed what she felt now. If _he_ didn't have Raven, then the only one left on the list of suspects was Remy.

…

 _Upper East Side  
Manhattan_

Her penthouse was surrounded by SHIELD agents. Luckily, Rogue spotted them before they saw her, and she about-faced. In Queens, Fence and Darce's apartment was vacant. They'd left their furniture, but had taken all the essentials. They wouldn't be back.

Desperate, she sent a text message to Remy. She had nowhere else to turn and told him so. After a moment's hesitation, she warned him _'They're listening'_. Two minutes later, he replied _'Line's secure. My place in 20'._

She headed back uptown and broke in through his balcony. Three half-grown kittens emerged from their hibernation and rubbed against her boots. Their food bowls were full – the sitter had been by recently – but Gambit's couch was shredded in silent protest of their abandonment. She sat with them in the dark and wondered who was watching her. Fence? If she apologized, would he hear? Had he watched Gambit lure Raven here and attack her? Had he provided the logistics? Suddenly, she didn't feel so bad for chasing him away. She wanted to tell his wife who he _really_ was. Today it was Raven but tomorrow it might be Darce.

Remy teleported into his bedroom. Despite her anger, she was relieved to see him. His face brightened, too, and they met in an embrace.

"Where the hell've you been?" She was the first to pull away.

"Can't talk here. Let's-"

"Ah'm not goin' _anywhere_ till you explain yourself."

"I'm sorry, Anna, but we've gotta move."

"Where's Raven?"

"What?"

"Ah _know_ it was you, Remy. Ah'm sure you thought you were doin' the wrong thing for the right reason, but if you don't come clean right now, things are gonna get ugly."

"What are you talkin' about?"

He was lying. She'd known him long enough to know. By asking questions, he meant to uncover what she already knew before revealing _just enough_ to appear innocent and honest. She wasn't having it. Not tonight.

"Don't say Ah didn't warn you." She locked her lips on his and sucked his thoughts.

 _He hadn't been the first one to the hospital and it bothered him. In fact,_ _ **someone**_ _had had enough notice to bring flowers while he was stuck interrogating nurses. No one showed him preferential treatment. He was just another one of her superhero friends as far as they were concerned, and for the first time, he saw an advantage to marriage._

 _Meanwhile, shit hit the fan and mutants everywhere were dying. Deputy Hill didn't see any correlation between Dr. Ishii's work and the current crisis. She reminded him that a grand jury decided not to indict._

 _Remy pulled every resource at his disposal – and that was a considerably vast pool – to track Ishii down. Now 'Dr. Shiro', Ishii worked under strict government surveillance. In fact, he never left his lab. Rumors were that he'd acquired the perfect specimen: a young woman matching Rogue's description. If he'd managed to clone Rogue with her acquired super strength and flight abilities, the world would be at his mercy. Worse – what if he had the real deal? And the hospitalized, comatose body was actually a clone?_

She released him and he fell limply in her arms. Like nearly everyone else, he'd forgotten Raven.

"Ah'm sorry, Remy, Ah should've trusted you."

A shadow of his personality, running through her mind, revealed that _he'd_ been stalking her – not SHIELD. And while he'd been watching for any clue as to her true identity, he'd also been worried that she'd call Magnus or Johnny when he failed to arrive.

"Oh, you silly man!" She showered his face with kisses. He was still out cold and couldn't hear. She had to focus. Before losing consciousness, he'd been eager to move. "Who were you runnin' from?"

Again, his ghost answered. Nil lodged a complaint after she'd assaulted him in Italy. _Oops_. Now SHIELD was tracking her via her phone. She could dump it, of course, but then they'd know she was on the run and simply tighten the leash. Outside, vehicles were already circling the complex.

"That's our cue, lover. Where're we headin'?"

His mind was a fading column of smoke; his body, a heavy cape. She carried him with fleeting directions to Fremont County, Colorado.

Emma called several times, but she didn't dare answer. Finally, she called Emma from Remy's phone.

"Where are you, darling? Sounds windy."

"Ya might say that. Whachya got, Nancy Drew?"

"She left the campus at 2:30. Missed her 3 o'clock with a relator. Somewhere in that thirty minute window, she vanished. Her campus contact _and_ the relator _both_ remember her. I put it to Dr. Strange and he described it like a bug bomb. Someone detonated a forgetful spell close to New York. I was in Canada at the time and you were in a coma. That's why we remember but no one else does."

"Who could do that?"

"Wait, there's more. The spell _should've_ worn off. By now, people should start remembering. Since they haven't, he thinks the spells been re-enforced with hexes. _Powerful_ ones. At least two – one on her person and one on her captor. If you try to break the spell while the hexes are still in place, the insanity will be projected onto you."

"That's why SHEILD locked me up…"

"And why Rachel got so bitchy. He's given me a number of leads, most of them love spells, so I'll-"

"It ain't her boyfriend, Ah already checked with him." She paused. "Ah couldn't just _sit at home_ , Emma!"

"Is _that_ why the Avengers have a warrant out for you?" She sounded amused.

"Wasn't Gambit, either. He's been tracking a mad scientist whose prime specimen fits my description. We're on the way now… Strange say what these hexes might look like?"

"Something foreign on their body. Something they wouldn't routinely remove. And _think_ before you go blasting into that lab. If he's cursed his co-workers, they'll think you're crazy, too. _She_ might even believe it."

"Wouldn't do much good to rescue her if she ran back to him."

"Exactly. I'll ask him how malevolent the spell is and if he thinks the building's enchanted. Call you back as soon as I have something. Sit tight until then."

…

 _To Be Continued…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** Fence's true identity hasn't been revealed, but since his character's based on John Goodman, it's been universally accepted that his first name's John. Also, Nil's real name is still unrevealed, but 'Nil' is a nickname for 'Nicholas' and 'Fitzroy' means 'royal bastard', so I feel like it's a good fit. I know Rogue's dominated the last two chapters, but Remy and Raven will return next installment.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

 _Angel, angel, what've I done?  
I've faced the quakes, the winds, the fire -  
I've conquered country, crown, and throne.  
Why can't I cross this river?  
'Pay no mind to the battles you've won.  
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle.  
Open your heart and hands, my son.  
Or you'll never make it over the river.'  
~The Humbling River by Puscifer_

…

 _Fremont County, Colorado_

Rogue carried him like a bride across the threshold into his hotel room. "Sleep it off, sugah," she said, gently laying him on the bed.

Behind her, a quick breeze announced another presence. She turned in time to see a girl leap and wrap a wire around her neck. If she hadn't been invulnerable, her throat would've split. She tipped forward and threw the girl on top of Remy. Unfazed, she rolled and pounced again, this time with a knife ready. The blade shattered on Rogue's eye and she caught the child, penned her to the floor.

"Knock it off!"

She bucked and spat, screamed and cursed.

" _Petite_ …" Remy groaned, "Take it easy…"

The girl reduced from a full boil to a simmer.

Rogue rushed to his side. "Remy! Ah never thought Ah'd be so happy to not kill you."

"I get that a lot," he smiled. He slowly sat up, blood crawling back into his limbs. "Allow me to introduce Miss Bennett."

She studied the girl, who couldn't have been more than twelve. Her long limbs were strung tight and her eyes and lips were too big for her face, like a puppy that hadn't yet grown into its feet. She had olive skin, bright violet eyes, and black hair cut in an unruly bob. Two ram horns crowned her head and curled prettily under her ears.

" _Marie_ Bennett?"

"The same," said the girl. "How did you find Remy?"

"Wait just a damn minute! How did _you_ find Remy? And what're y'all doin' here?"

Marie filled a glass with water and brought it to him, gingerly placing it in his hands and helping him lift it to his mouth. He took a sip and quietly explained that Rogue wasn't a threat. Then he explained to Rogue that Marie was helping him track Ishii.

"How? Are you telepathic?" she asked.

"Something like that…"

"Rogue's a _friend_ ," he said. "We can _trust_ her."

Her too-large eyes weakened. "I only trust _you_ , Remy."

"Marie's a dream weaver," he explained. "She's been followin' Ishii since Scott died. She's made contact with whoever he's holdin'. Don't suppose _you_ know anything more than you stole from me?"

"Her name's Raven. She – she's our daughter from another time and dimension."

His reaction was too pitiful to watch. Marie curled up in his lap, as if her presence might comfort him. After a moment, Rogue hugged him, too. He didn't weep or sigh. He didn't even complain. But there was a sadness in his eyes that nothing could erase. It broke her heart, too, although for different reasons. Rogue knew all about Raven and struggled to accept her, but Gambit only had to hear her name to love her with all his heart. What was _wrong_ with her?

"She sees the dead," Marie said at last. "That's what he _wants_. She's too scared to move or eat."

Remy disentangled himself and walked to the window, as if looking at the great beyond could somehow drown out her words.

"I make her remember what he does when she dreams," she continued. "Names, dates, experiments… Remy says it's important. He says to tell her we're coming so she doesn't lose hope. You're going to get her now, right?"

"Y'all know where she is?"

"Generally," he said. "But no way t' get there."

" _Rogue_ can do it! What're they gonna do? _Shoot_ her?"

"But believe it or not, it ain't enough to be strong. Tell me everything y'all know. _Everything_."

With measured, practiced words, the young girl explained Ishii's process. First he traumatized his patients. Then he overwhelmed them with death and the dying. Deprived of every basic need and comfort, he aimed to _break_ them in order to make them compliant. Then he pushed their bodies to the breaking point. Death was often long in coming.

"At least she won't be raped," Marie said indifferently. "I overheard him say that sexual trauma made the reactions too unpredictable. But she's been tortured every other way."

"Why are you tellin' me this?"

"Because if I had _your_ powers, I'd be there already!"

"And she'd be _dead_."

Remy reviewed the blueprints for the building holding Raven. He'd marked every possible entrance and exit and mapped the route commonly taken by staff. Getting in wasn't the problem. Getting _out_ – with an invincible, super-strong hostage – provided more challenges.

"Ain't enough to rescue her," said Rogue. "He's cursed her. There's a charm on her and another on him that binds her. We have to remove 'm both."

"Leave Ishii to me," Marie boasted.

"To _us_ ," said Remy. Then he told Rogue: "You'll move quicker alone."

"Ah'll draw the guards. Won't be able to _hide_ anyway, so Ah'll distract 'm from y'all."

"Better wait," said Marie. "He'll kill her before he'll let her leave."

"Right… Y'all grab Ishii and _then_ Ah'll move for Raven. We'll head north for the Arctic. Won't be _cozy_ , but it'll provide good cover while she recoops."

"Then we'll head south," he replied.

' _South to_ _where?'_ she wanted to ask. And when would she see him again? She didn't dare ask with his mini-assassin disciple present. His eyes softened but whatever words he wanted to speak were silenced by a helicopter suddenly outside the window. A spotlight circled round and burned through the thin curtains. An amplified voice told them to place their hands on their heads, and the hall trembled with dozens of marching boots.

 _SHIELD._

"Go get her," Remy said.

She gave him a kiss for luck and stole a healthy dose of thievery. Of course he had the blueprints memorized, and there was always the possibility that his subtle charm might work better than her blunt force.

Like a bullet, she blew through the window and shot into the earth's astrosphere. SHIELD scrambled to catch up. A curved trajectory carried her directly over the solid concrete fortress. When she dropped, guards opened fire, but the rounds missed or failed to pierce her body. She crashed through the roof to the floor where Raven was being held. Luckily, she didn't have far to go, but unfortunately, it gave the guards easy access. Like ants, they poured from the roof into the hall. She ripped a door off its hinges and flung it like a Frisbee. They hunkered down and radioed for backup.

She ran to the lab which held Raven's cell. Steel doors and cement walls crumbled like tissue paper beneath her fists, and any staff nearby had evacuated. They hadn't bothered to move Raven: her mind was imprisoned in ways invulnerable to Rogue's almighty strength.

Naked, she huddled in a corner. When she heard footsteps, she quivered.

"It's alright," Rogue said. "Ah'm a _friend_."

But it wasn't alright. A power-negating collar – once popular on Genosha – had been drilled into her spine at the base of her skull. More heavy-duty bolts affixed a steel plate into her head and wrapped around her eyes. No wonder she saw only the dead. At least Rogue knew what had been hexed, but how would she ever remove it? Raven's skull might crumble. A nicked nerve could leave her paralyzed. This required a surgeon's precision, but they hadn't time to find a surgeon.

She wrapped her coat around the poor girl. At first, she fought against it, but then she relaxed.

"Ruh – Rogue?"

A smoke bomb rolled into the room and Raven coughed.

"It's me, sugah. We've gotta get this thing off you."

"Do it," she said bravely.

"Don't ask me to stop or Ah'll never have the nerve to start again."

"Like a b-band-aid!" She struggled to breathe.

The steel plates peeled away like ribbon, but she took great care with the bolts. She tried to get a feel for how deeply they were embedded. Then she gathered all her courage and plucked the first one. Crimson blood poured into Raven's face. She removed the second one, and this time, Raven screamed and fought her. She struggled for every one after, but all her might couldn't slow the process. It was awful. Her face bloated with agony and her cries were inhuman. Rogue took great care not to accidently crush her head while exerting great strength to remove the bolts. Blood caused her fingers to slip on the final one – the pin holding the collar at the base of her skull. She wiped her hand on her pants and tried again. This time it came out. Raven thrashed in agony and finally pushed free, matching Rogue's might.

"Ah'm sorry," Rogue wept, cradling her head.

She was bleeding like a fountain. Apparently, her returned powers wouldn't instantly heal her wounds, but she wouldn't die. At least the smoke didn't irritate her anymore. While Rogue found cloth to wrap her head, SHIELD made their demands. How _terrified_ they must've been: knowing she had all the power.

"Do you know where Ishii is?" she asked Raven.

"He lives… in the basement…"

"They've probably cleared the building already. _Damnit_!"

"No… His door's on a time-release... Requires special… clearance to open… No one wants to wake the General… to save _Ishii_ … No one _likes_ him…"

Another bomb was thrown and a flash preceded a high-pitched whistle. Agents poured in as Rogue dove through the floor, dragging Raven along. They continued swiftly to the bottom level, clipping a guard, but not pausing to assess the damage. Rogue actually by-passed the basement the first time and sunk into the foundation. When they came back up, the area was empty. They raced through the halls, kicking open every door until they finally found the sleeping doctor.

Rogue felt Raven trembling and softly told her: "Wait outside."

Ishii kicked off his covers and scrambled for his glasses. This boogeyman, who had mutilated and massacred so many, was hardly five feet tall. Bald, shirtless, with buckling knobby knees, he was the picture of pathetic. She quickly grabbed his bottom jaw. If he had a fake tooth filled with cyanide, this prevented him from swallowing it. Then she pulled his memories.

 _A young medical student with a different name and a habit of torturing mutants was approached by William Stryker. Under his employ, Ishii was able to open medical clinics, where he continued to experiment and injure mutants under the guise of charity. Eventually the government would catch on. He'd change his name, move, and open another clinic. After M-Day, when so many mutants died or lost their unique abilities, Ishii had to go underground. Not only were mutants more difficult to find, they were also more visible. If too many of them shared the same doctor and suffered the same symptoms, he'd lose his limited supply._

 _So new subjects like Marie Bennett had to be abducted. In fact, he'd tried to relocate her to Unit XP the day she escaped. Her handlers said she'd been unresponsive for days. They didn't expect a little girl to be so clever. They were lax and left her unchained for the move from her cell to his vehicle. She escaped and nearly exposed the entire operation. They had to silence her._

 _Hospitalized, Ishii couldn't reach her, but when he learned she'd been taken by Cyclops, he knew he had to act. Stryker's son, who'd replaced his father, deployed his army to annihilate the splinter cell of X-Men. It backfired. Unit XP was uncovered and Ishii came too close to being exposed._

 _While the authorities scrambled to disprove his lies, he weaved an intricate series of spells. First, he enchanted high-ranking officials. They were happy to keep him safe in exchange for his findings. Deprived of hunting, abducting, and slowly torturing victims, he instead re-lived the acts through confessional stories. Everyone in the fortress knew what he'd done, but they mistakenly believed he was too valuable to expose or harm. In fact, he was a breath away from disaster._

 _When the Terrigen bomb further thinned the mutant herd, Raven came to his attention. She couldn't be killed. He wanted to examine her reaction to Terrigenesis, and gather samples of her cerebrospinal_ _fluid for future test subjects. He suspected her DNA held the possibility of species-wide resistance to the fatal virus… But it could just as easily accelerate death._

 _Once she was obtained, he had to make sure that no one came to rescue her. A sloppy spell re-enforced by some wicked hexes erased the memory of her. Pictures or video footage that he may have missed could be mistaken for Rogue. And because she wasn't from this world, there were limited documents to ever reveal her existence._

Enraged, her grip tightened until his jaw fractured.

"Your hex," she said. " _Where_?"

His memory revealed a tiny explosive buried in his sinus cavity. If he thought himself above harm, he was wrong. She pressed her thumbs against his forehead until it broke like an overripe melon. Then she dug out the device known as the Decimator.

"You're a mess," was all Raven said when she emerged.

Rogue took her hand, trying to channel her strength into this still-bleeding woman. "Ah'm gonna go outside and let them arrest me now. They'll take you to a hospital. Get you patched up. Ah'll come as soon as Ah can."

"I know you will. I've got your coat."

She cracked a smile.

…

The pain in Raven's head was terrible, but she'd experienced agony before. Endurance was a matter of will-power. She simply withdrew into her mind and offered the pain to God. Hide, shut out. Hide, shut out. As easy as breathing once you had the hang of it.

At the hospital, she finally stopped bleeding. Like Christ, she'd lost every drop of blood, and although she didn't die, her body burned. Agony was all she knew. And then…

 _Her father held Rogue as she bled to death._

 _Alone in the dark, Honor sobbed._

 _Meg screamed. Another contraction forced her body forward into labor. Her mother held one foot and Oli held the other. "I can see his head!" someone said, but she couldn't hear over her wails._

 _Oli had sent his team for re-enforcements, and they were en route, but wouldn't arrive in time. He fought alone. It was David and Goliath, and David was about to get his ass kicked. He thought of Meg and Jack. Then he thought of all the Megs and Jacks he was protecting and told Cyclops to fire everything he had. There was no time for escape. Trying to save his own life would only jeopardize the mission. Oli died thinking he was a hero who'd saved the world._

" _Why do you linger here?"_

" _What is my pain compared to theirs?" Raven replied._

Somewhere else, she heard Meg's mother saying: "I told Rogue to wait for me! Of **course** she didn't listen. Where's Dr. Strange?"

 _Rogue stood, saw the blood stain, and knew she'd lost the baby. It was the lowest depths of misery. And it never ended. Every day, her heart continued to plummet._

 _Raven wiped, saw the blood, and knew she was losing her baby._

" _You wanted to die, didn't you?"_

" _No," Raven weakly answered._

" _Life is pain."_

Raven saw Remy waiting at her bedside. Someone else was watching from behind her eyes, too. Cautiously, he held her hand and apologized.

"Wanna make it up to me?" said Raven's voice. "Fuck me. You know the old saying – the deeper the kin, the deeper the in."

 _It was supposed to be the best night of her life. Vaughn asked Daddy for "permission" to marry her and also for Momma's ring. Daddy doted on her – on all his children, really… Well, except for Oli. Raven was delirious with joy. She never_ _ **dreamed**_ _Daddy would say_ _ **no**_ _or that Vaughn would unleash his frustration on her. It had to be a joke. A misunderstanding. A_ _ **nightmare**_ _. When she told Vaughn not to give up – to ask again – he said they were over. He'd already "wasted" five years of his life. If she wanted to marry him,_ _ **she**_ _could get Daddy's "permission". Then he left her. Just like everyone else._ _ **He left**_ _._

" _No one loves you. They never did."_

Far away, Meg's mother said: "What happened? Rogue said she removed the enchantments."

"She tried," replied a man. "Her interference triggered another spell. Looks like Ishii's mind is now in Raven's body. Can you-"

 _Jack._

 _He always loved her._

" _He was just a baby. Infants aren't capable of love."_

 _That's not true. The first time she held him, he looked up at her and he_ _ **knew**_ _her. Like he'd known her all her life. Some part of her wondered if this boy wasn't her mother re-incarnated. He seemed so wise._

Softly, a man said: "Fight him, Raven. He's trying to turn your strengths against you. Don't let him."

 _Vaughn._

 _He married her in the end – just like he promised: with Daddy's blessing and Momma's ring. Daddy had been selfish keeping her to himself. He wanted to break Vaughn's heart like Vaughn was breaking his. He wanted to prove how unworthy this man was… But Vaughn proved him wrong. Didn't matter how many times he said 'no', he kept coming back. He didn't elope like a thief in the night. He didn't try to usurp his father-in-law. And his persistence paid off by bringing Raven around to his side. Finally, Daddy knew he risked losing his favorite daughter if he kept it up. He gave Vaughn the ring and said, "With all my heart, I give her to you."_

" _You let them die! You should've been with your_ _ **brother**_ _! Then they'd still be_ _ **alive**_ _!"_

" _God let them die. I'm not God."_

" _You're a_ _ **coward**_ _!"_

" _Yeah, maybe I am…"_

"Fight him, Raven."

" _Insults won't defeat me. He tried to enslave me, but my soul has already been bound to heaven. I am a child of God, created in His image. My brother was the Alpha, the first to die, and I am the Omega. My journey is much longer and my sacrifices greater, but when we reunite, he'll see that I am no worse for my burdens. All the senseless sufferings serve a purpose. Ishii wasn't brought to me to face defeat. The cycle ends with me… I forgive him as I hope He forgives me."_

She felt Ishii's soul tear from hers. He clung with bleeding nails that remained even when the rest of him had been ripped away. Granting him grace was to be her life's final act. She was sure of it.

But a small, still voice echoed: _"Not yet."_

…

 _To Be Concluded…_

…

 **Author's Notes:** 'The Humbling River' inspired most of Raven's personality and that philosophy bled into the whole story. Obviously, the "river" is a metaphor; what _for_ is debatable. But I used Ishii as the un-crossable river. It required Marie's cunning, Gambit and Emma's investigations, Darce's honesty, Raven's sacrifice, and Rogue's strength to finally conquer him.

When Raven connected with her family's pain, she was witnessing their agony. I don't know why she thought that would inspire her, but it made her feel connected to them, anyway. Ishii quickly turned it into a weapon. Fun fact about Jack: although Oli and Meg's child was pictured in _X-Men: The End_ , no name or even a gender was revealed. I decided 'Jack' was short, sweet, and simple. Only later did I learn that's also the name of Oliver Twist's buddy, 'the Artful Dodger'. Sweet serendipity!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI**

 _There's no way of knowing, but I'll guess, if I may,  
When I look up to you, there's only one thing I want to say:  
Lay down. Try and talk about it.  
Lay down. Don't scream or cry or shout it.  
Stay down. Don't deny or doubt it.  
No one knows you better than me.  
~Start a Family by Texas_  
…

 _Lower Manhattan_

How did the planet acquire its life-sustaining water? How many millennia passed before land rose from the Pacific? How many fish crawled from the sea only to perish on the shore? How often did asteroids strike, ice ages commence, and sea levels alter? Every mass extinction erased eons of struggle and survival – pushing life back to one tiny organism that might one day be a fish brave enough to leave the sea. And yet, humans feel so _secure_ in their existence. So entitled. Who's ever _promised_ a future?

Rogue knew her future looked bleak, so she wasn't sacrificing the present.

"Hey, where do you want this?" Raven asked, carrying the bed over her head like an ant with a cookie crumb.

"In the corner," Rogue answered, pointing to the master bedroom. "We can move it later."

Finding a place she and Remy _both_ wanted had taken months. It was quite the milestone – leaving their respective lodgings for a _shared_ one. She still hadn't sold her penthouse, and although he hadn't mentioned his old place, she expected he'd keep it. Was it really a _commitment_ if he had other homes? First big fight, he could just walk out and she wouldn't know where he'd gone. But she wouldn't push it. Sometimes relationships were brave fish.

Fence and Darce popped in to install the latest and greatest security system. Following Gambit's lead, they didn't mention their sudden move. They – like so many things – were a part of _his_ life and not hers.

He'd been shockingly supportive about her new 'condition'. When the ugly rash spread, he noticed and reminded her to take her medicine. He made sure her supply was never too low. And when she considered the long-term effects, he confidently spoke of cures. It was too soon to discuss her sterility. Did he even want kids? Did _she_? Raven, she discovered, also had fertility issues, and she'd joined a support group, where she cried and talked about her feelings. Not for Rogue. When she _was_ ready to talk about it, she wouldn't cry to a bunch of strangers.

Otherwise, the girl had done alright for herself. She was in the process of becoming legal guardian for Marie Bennet and Samuel, the little boy for whom she'd built a protective suit. The orphanage claimed she was taking him for product promotion, although Rogue suspected they took offense to Raven's mutation. (She _insisted_ on hiring a lawyer for her.) Instead of M.I.T., Raven had enrolled at Cornell, which was in-state. She was out of a job since Grey was in Limbo, and Rogue had long-considered giving her the penthouse to compensate. What better time to discuss it?

As Raven set the bed down, Rogue quietly followed and shut the door.

"Got a minute?" She sat on the bed and invited Raven to follow. "Ah wanted to say… Ah hope you stick with school. And Ah wanna support you. Would you like to stay at my old place? You can't keep the kids in a dorm and Ah don't want you to have to choose."

She smiled serenely. "That's so sweet. But I have a place picked out."

"How're you gonna afford it?"

"I've got an internship on campus."

"Goin' to school _and_ workin'? Who's gonna look after Samuel?"

"I'll hire a sitter."

"No-"

" _Rogue_ ," her voice carried a hard edge. "I don't need your charity. Trust me, I've thought all this out and I have a plan."

"Okay... Ah have a gift for you." She walked to the closet and pulled out her green and white jacket. "Ah know you love yours, but it's gettin' too tattered. Ah want you to have this."

Her eyes watered. "But… It's _yours_."

"Not anymore."

Tears spilled over her lashes and her voice cracked. "Rogue, I – thank you."

Her face prickled ominously. "Ah'm sick of seein' your stomach, that's all."

When they opened the door, Fence proudly announced that the system was running. "Safest place you could be! _Outside_ of Avengers Tower, I guess."

"We don't call it that anymore."

But he didn't seem to hear. He turned to Raven. "You girls ready to go?"

"Go where?" Rogue asked.

"Thursday night bowling league," answered Darce. "Flamingos are goin' _down_!"

Raven put her hands on her hips. " **Un** like your _pins_!"

They left together, squawking loudly. Whatever Rogue might've been feeling was interrupted by Remy's return. He carried two pet boxes, which held his three cats and their items. The closest thing Rogue had to a pet was the orchid given to her by Raven. It had born the note that carried her through so much: _'Bet you can't kill this!'_ She'd been right, so far.

Remy opened the carriers and let Oliver, Lucifer, and Figaro slowly, cautiously emerge.

" _Now_ it's home," she said.

He smiled. "Got your medicine while I was out."

"That wasn't-"

"I know. But needed t' get your keys, too." He gave her a ring holding five keys, each with a number. "My safe houses… _Not_ for Rogers or Hill."

She gripped the keys in her hand, feeling the steel bite into her palm. No worldly force would compel her to betray his carefully measured trust. "What about the key to your bike?"

" _Funny_. Where's my plants?"

"Ah set 'm outside."

" _Mon Dieu_! You didn't _touch_ 'm, did you?"

She crossed her arms. "Ah'll have you know-!"

Whatever information she wanted to impart was lost when her work phone screamed with an incoming call. It was Rogers, of course; he needed her right away.

"Sorry, sugah, duty calls."

"Gives me time t' revitalize my basil."

With a kiss for luck, she shot into the sky. The citizens below scurried to their appointments: dinners, shows, dates, and at least one bowling league. No doubt they gave as little thought to her as she once gave to them. They resembled ants and she looked like a bird to them. But the space between was merely distance and could not separate their lives. She'd learned to accept the limitations of her species. The first wave of mutants may be the last, too. But how many M-Poxes had she survived? How many Dr. Ishii's had been apprehended? How many Ravens – the final organism of their universe – crawled ashore to begin again? Sick or healthy, Rogue wasn't lying down to die yet.

…

 _The End._

…

 **Author's Notes:** I enjoyed this story for a number of reasons. One, I like how it started as one thing and became something completely different. When I realized Ishii had kidnapped Raven and Rogue was her only hope, I thought 'there are plenty of stories like this already!' But it gave Rogue a chance to prove how loyal and clever she really is. Placing this story-line in the middle instead of the beginning gave Rogue's mission more credence. Also, I really enjoyed seeing all my X-Men together again. When Ishii got his ends, I felt satisfied, but didn't want to glorify his death or make Rogue appear blood-thirsty. Otherwise, she would've been no better. But probably my favorite aspect was how strong the female characters were. That was completely unintentional.

My biggest problem with this story is how weak Gambit's story-line came across. He's just as pivotal and complex, but got completely side-lined for Rogue and Raven. I promise to try and compensate with my next installment.

If you've gotten this far, please take a few moments to review and let me know what you enjoyed or didn't. Thanks to everyone!


End file.
